To be Alone in the World
by psykostevey999
Summary: Vermouth's allegiance is tested with a new target, one a little closer to the heart than any other before. This is just the beginning of what will undoubtedly be the end of the struggle between the B.O and everyone else. Who wins? Whose lost? Who knows?
1. Assignment

"Vermouth" Boss said concisely "I am aware of your treason" she squirmed in her seat, feeling the heat of his gaze "I cannot verify any of the allegations against you, but there is sufficient evidence to say that you have been hiding various secrets from me. After what's happened with Sherry and Rye, I can't afford to have rats in my syndicate. You will have to prove your allegiance to us once again, Vermouth." She looked down at her feet warily. Even though she couldn't actually see his eyes, she knew he was staring at her with sinister intentions.

"What must I do" she asked with a shaky voice, uncommon to her

"It has come to our attention that the original APTX drug that Sherry designed was defective. Our scientists have been running round-the-clock tests on it since she left. They've concluded that it is in fact an age reversion agent. We thought the only drug of that nature was the one we gave to you but apparently we were incorrect. Now we must track down every person we have given APTX to so we can eliminate any evidence of this blunder" Vermouth had an eyebrow raised at this point. The one question that plagued her above any other was 'How did they find out?' Boss could sense he wasn't receiving his employee's undivided attention, so he motioned for Gin to regain it on his behalf. Gin smirked and strode over to Vermouth, still shrouded in darkness. She looked up and saw his cigarette moving closer to her. Before she could ask or move, Gin had seized a hold of her arm. She flinched as he pushed the burning end of the cigarette into her arm.

"Focus" Gin said coldly as he left the cigarette to sit on her arm and lit a new one for himself. He hovered over her for a moment before returning to his place alongside Boss.

"As I was saying, we need to draw out all of the victims of the APTX drug. I feel it would be best to start with Kudo Shinichi, the detective from Tokyo that ingested the drug approximately fifteen months ago. Due to his prestigious career as a young crime stopper we believe him to be a threat. Undoubtedly he's been investigating our Organization since the day he was drugged." Vermouth felt her heart catch. She knew everything he was saying to be true. She had already watched one of the 'silver bullets' die, now her last hope was in danger.

"So what do you intend to do?" she asked fearfully, completely aware of Boss' cruel potential

"Simple, you are going to resurrect Sharon Vineyard" he ordered, making sure to show no remorse in his voice

"How do you expect me to do that? Incase you've forgotten she's been dead for over half a decade" she asked, seemingly losing her cool for a moment

"Relax, Vermouth, you don't have to convince the world, just one person" Vermouth's eyes peeled as she leaned toward him, curious about the person he was referring to

"Really? Who would that be?" Dead silence fell on the room as Boss handed a picture over to Gin. Gin made his over to her and tossed the picture on her lap. She analyzed the picture for a moment before taking on an unwanted expression of shock

"T-This is Kudo Yukiko" she said, unable to hide the traces of emotion in her voice

"Yes, the plan is simple. You fabricate some story as to why Sharon is still alive. Then you ask her to meet you at Sharon's hotel room. When she arrives, you subdue her and await further orders." Boss made the task sound elementary

"When would I do this?"

"Tomorrow night. You are going to ask her to come over at this time." Boss handed a slip of paper to Gin who begrudgingly delivered it to her "If all goes according to plan we should have confirmation of Kudo Shinichi's whereabouts as well as his current identity with a few days." He addressed her as a student would a teacher, instructing her through every step of the operation

"I understand. What about her husband?" she asked, hoping she had come upon a loophole on the airtight plan

"He's just a novelist. We'll monitor him. If he gets out of line we'll end him then and there" Vermouth looked down at the floor. This was the first time she had ever really been torn by an assignment. She had carefully taught herself indifference so she would never have to wrestle with the emotional issues that she was now.

"I understand." She said, eliminating any trace of doubt that Boss or Gin may have had. With that, she rose from her sit and began to walk out of the room

"Vermouth" she heard an eerie voice call out. She turned and found Gin walking with purpose toward her. Within a few seconds he was face to face with her. He blew a large puff of smoke in her face, trying hard to intimidate her. She shook her head mockingly and locked eyes with him

"What is it?"

"Don't fail. I'll be watching you" She quickly generated a chuckle and turned away from him. Once she was out of the room she let out a huge gasp and began to question what her next move would be. How was she supposed to simply tell her that she was alive? It's not exactly a simple task and Yukiko, despite her outward persona was quite intelligent. She was going to have to tell her, in person. There was no way she would believe it over the phone. She pulled out her and looked through the contacts until the cursor landed on Yukiko. She had managed to keep in touch with her via Chris Vineyard. They had been out to dinner a few times and met at large social gatherings. Now, she had to call her as a woman that had supposedly been dead for years; as her best friend, Sharon Vineyard. As she arrived at her motorcycle, which had been parked in a shed outside the factory where the Organization was currently being sheltered, she pressed the dial key on her phone and pressed it to her ear. She had to meditate momentarily on her old persona's voice. Once she felt confident with it she focused her thought on the phone, which was still ringing. The dial tone was cut short but a click at the other end an a familiar voice

"Hai this is Kudo Yukiko" Yukiko answered in her usual light-hearted demeanor

"Yukiko" she muttered just loud enough to be audible. Yukiko stared at the phone for a second, confused by the voice she had just heard

"Who is this?" she asked, a little more coldly than before. She had never thought a fan would sink so low as to actually prank call her while imitating the voice of a deceased friend

"Its me Yukiko…its really me" Vermouth grimaced at the thought of her friend crying at the sound of her voice

"You're…you're lying. That's not possible, Sharon died many years ago." Her voice dropped off and she began to tear up, sniffling through the phone

"I'll prove it to you" Vermouth's voice was resolute and it silence the other end of the line

"Anyone can dress up like someone, how do you intend to 'prove it'?" Yukiko hardly believed she was really who she claimed to be, but she nonetheless wanted to know how far she'd go to prove that she was

"Do you remember the night you came to New York to see 'The Golden Apple'?" Yukiko was listening to her explanation intently and only gave a slight murmur of confirmation "Well, do you remember the girl that you said was going to be your future daughter-in-law?" Yukiko was now growing more frightened by the accuracy of this woman's recollection and could only whisper a miniscule yes in response "What was her name….let's see…Oh I remember Mouri Ran! Am I right? Do you believe me?" Yukiko gaped openly as the phone slipped out of her hand. 'There's no way just anyone could have known that in such detail. There were only five people in the room not counting myself. And you subtract Shin-chan, Ran-kun and Sharon herself there were only three. Then you subtract the woman who was murdered that night and you're left with just two people. This is far too strange to be mere coincidence' she thought thoroughly. Meanwhile, Vermouth waited patiently on the other line for Yukiko to return.

"I want to see you in person" Yukiko said abruptly, no evidence of satire in her voice

"Of course. How about we meet at the Italian restaurant on 56th and Maine Street in one hour" her proposal was so official, almost unmistakably characteristic of Sharon Vineyard

"See you then" Yukiko said a little more cheerfully as she ended the call. Vermouth smiled at the success of her reconnection with her old friend. She wanted to talk to her and make her comfortable before their meeting the next day. She hopped onto her bike and rode toward her hotel to change into her disguise, smiling merrily and thinking about what she would say once she was face to face with her companion.

Yukiko, meanwhile, chuckled heartily to herself as she went to her closet to change.

"Whoever this stalker is, I'll catch them myself." She grinned as she shuffled through her piles of clothes, diverting her attention away from the serious implications of her evening

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ran was sitting in class daydreaming again. Even the best students dozed off in philosophy class. The teacher was nearly seventy and his voice was monotone. She thought back to a joke Shinichi had made about him possibly being the guy that calls out the numbers for bingo at the retirement center. Unfortunately, by recollecting this, she had crossed over into dangerous waters. Anytime her mind alluded back to him, a thousand other thoughts and memories immediately followed. She tried her best to ward off the unwelcome contemplations but to no avail. Soon she found herself, as she had almost every day prior to that, thinking about her currently absent love interest. Although they hadn't declared themselves a 'couple' yet, they had both acknowledged openly that what they had was more than friendship.

**~Flashback~**

"Oi Ran, I'm sorry I haven't called recently" Shinichi said, awaiting her inevitable angry explosion

"You should be!" she screamed crossly "After what happened in England you don't even call!" She had been able to think of nothing but what he said to her since the day she arrived home. Shinichi knew it too, but the last weeks he had been by her side almost none-stop. This was the first real separation from her aside from school in three weeks.

"Ran I…" he tried to manufacture a response that would not give away his secret. He already knew that she liked him, but he had to pretend he didn't otherwise she would be suspicious

"Shinichi, I'm sorry." Shinichi gaped at the concept of her apologizing to him "I shouldn't have run away after you said that to me. I was a little confused" He was completely taken back by her apology. He had called to apologize and receive his well-deserved chastising, and yet, here she was beating him to it

"Its alright, I was scared when you didn't call me because I thought that maybe you…didn't feel the same" Ran's jaw dropped when she heard this but she managed to maintain her composure

"Shinichi…"

"I mean I understand. After all, I've been away so long and I couldn't hardly expect to feel like that about me after so long"

"I…I still do" she whispered with an obvious pink hue crawling over her cheeks. Shinichi silently pressed the phone to his ear as if the next words out of her mouth were the most important in world. Nothing would take priority over what she had to say "And…"she continued, trying hard not to choke on her breath "I always will". Every word she had spoken had an unmistakable hint of fear and apprehension on it. Shinichi felt it wise to quickly diminish any worries or doubt in her mind

"Ran, I promise when I come back I will show, with my own hands and my own body that I feel the exact same way" Silence flooded the line until Shinichi, as he often did, abruptly ended the call "Ran I have to go, I'll call you more often from no on bye!"

**~End Flashback~**

She suddenly found herself wondering what he meant by 'his own hands' and 'his own body'. As she became further enwrapped in her own thoughts, the monotonous voice that had distracted her in the first place suddenly addressed her

"Mouri" the teacher said, displaying no sort of emotion

"Hai!" she exclaimed, trying to fend off any suspicion of her lack of attention

"Would you please give your input on the current topic?" he asked. Ran looked around the class, trying to pick up any clues as to what he was talking about. She began to sweat nervously until the teacher hit his pointer hard against the blackboard behind him. She jumped at the crack of the stick hitting the board but then analyzed the words he was pointing to "Mouri Ran the question was: Is it better to live in apathy in order to avoid pain or to live in pain as a reminder that you are alive?" Ran stared down at her desk and felt a deep burning as the words sunk into her brain. She mulled them around, picking them apart logically. Then after a brief lapse of time she addressed the teacher

"I believe that the pain we experience reminds us that we can feel other things as well. If we live without feeling anything then life has no meaning. But, if we acknowledge the bad parts of life, the ones that hurt, then we also acknowledge the good parts of life, the ones that bring us joy. In the end, the joy you feel makes all of the pain worth it."

Vermouth had made all the necessary preparations for her dinner and had only twenty to get her destination. As she walked out the door she saw herself in a mirror and stopped to further analyze the visage. She ran her fingers down the sides of her face, where she had placed wrinkles to make her age appear more advanced. She locked eyes with herself and let out a heavy sigh then walked out the door.

As Yukiko strode fiercely toward the door in a red evening gown, complete with matching earrings, she heard a voice beckon her. She turned and walked into the study where her husband was sitting behind his desk with both elbows on the desk and his hands placed under his chin

"Honey" he started, almost paternally "Where are you going dressed so formally?"

"To meet a friend. She's an actress and she wanted to meet me for dinner." Yukiko smiled broadly, trying her best to elude her husband's suspicions

"Really? Well that sounds lovely. Have a great time, I'll see you when you get home" she beamed at him in relief and he simply grinned and returned to his work. She quickly left his sight and exited the house. As she drove away at a dangerous speed, Yuusaku watched from the window and quickly picked up his phone and punched in one of his speed dials.

* * *

**Sorry about having to full on rewrite the first chapter, but it was brought to my attention there was a plot discrepency and i had to address. From this point forward the story shooulf move more smoothly so please keep reading**


	2. Prying Eyes

_The day had dragged on after the incident in her philosophy class, but her words had given her a serious topic to meditate on. After well over a year of waiting around for her childhood friend and love interest to return from his God-forsaken case, she needed to reassure herself that what she said in class was what she really thought. When her lunch break came around she sought council from the one person many would say was unfit to give it: Sonoko._

As they sat down at their usually table to eat, Sonoko realized her best friend had been more reserved than usual. To her knowledge, this meant one thing

"Ran what's wrong?" She asked in a matter-of-fact manner_. _Ran looked at her with widened eyes as she slowly placed the bottle of water she had brought to her lips back onto the table

"Sonoko why do you always have to say things like that?"

"Because I'm right. Now spill it, what's wrong? Is it Kudo? Did he hurt you again? When I get my hands on that punk I'm gonna-"

"Sonoko, relax I haven't talked to him today" Ran said reassuringly

"Then what is it? I may not be your beloved husband but I know you well enough to know when you're having a bad day, now, tell me what's wrong" Sonoko had always been protective of Ran, so this persistence was anything but surprising

"Do you remember earlier in Philosophy class when Matsuda-sensei asked me that question?" Sonoko looked to sky with a sarcastically thoughtful espression

"I believe I recall the incident, yes" she responded jokingly

"Okay, well the answer I gave has sort of made me think…" she trailed off. Up to this point Sonoko had been rather light-hearted about the situation, expecting it to be an emotional overreaction common to Ran. However the tone she had just taken altered her perspective drastically, changing her smile into a straight face laced with concern

"Think about what Ran?" she asked, trying to quickly identify the root of the problem

"Whether it's all worth it…" Ran whispered with her head facing down at the lunch she hadn't yet touched

"Ran…" the sincerity on Sonoko's voice was almost foreign to Ran's ear. It wasn't at all that she thought Sonoko didn't care, quite the opposite. Much like Shinichi, Sonoko tried her best to act as an emotional rock for her, even if that meant being bubbly and materialistic at all times, regardless of the situation.

"It's okay. I'm not sad or anything, he's just a mystery baka after all why would I care about him" Ran feigned a smile but Sonoko face was completely blank. She could sense that her friend's eyes were lost in a way they had never been. Ran had many times been sad, distraught, even depressed. But she had never been…doubtful.

"Ran I-" before she could speak the bell to signal the end of their lunch period went off and Ran hopped up and made a comment about needing to hurry to class and walking home after school. Sonoko rose slowly and watched her friend skip off. 'Yeah, I'll see you after school I suppose'.

Back in New York City, the clock struck eight and Vermouth, I mean Sharon Vineyard, sat patiently at the restaurant she and Yukiko had agreed upon. Looking around, there was still no sight of her friend. It didn't unnerve her too much, considering her personality. However, to guess her friend's actions based on her personality was a bad idea on this night for Yukiko had already stepped far outside the bounds of her usual behavior.

Yukiko had arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes earlier than the alleged Sharon Vineyard. She had immersed herself in the foliage outside the restaurant's large window wall. As 'Sharon' sat down, Yukiko's eyes sharpened, doing a careful inventory of her friend's appearance and movements. She had to admit, this person's imitative abilities were impressive. The resemblance to the actual Sharon Vineyard was uncanny, almost perfect. Yukiko continued to glare at the woman claiming to be her friend as she sat patiently at the table, instructing waiter to retrieve some sort of drink. When the drinks came, Yukiko was completely stunned. She fell backward in astonishment, rolling awkwardly out of the bush she was hiding in and onto the walkway in front of the restaurant. Thankfully she was not noticed and she ran stealthily to her car. She unzipped the black, full body 'Charlie's Angels-esque' jumpsuit she was clad in and threw it in the back seat, revealing the dress she had been wearing when she exited her house. She composed herself, adjusted her hair slightly and walked into the restaurant.

Sharon had now been waiting a good ten minutes and due to the circumstances of their meeting she had begun to doubt whether or not Yukiko would come at all. Her doubts were quickly squashed, however, when a radiant Kudo Yukiko appeared wearing a gorgeous red dress with ruby earrings. Sharon smiled and motioned for her to come over to the table she had reserved. Yukiko walked over and smiled her usual inviting smile. She sat down and looked at the drink her friend had ordered for her

"It's an Amber Dream" Sharon said, noticing the attention Yukiko has paying to the drink "You still drink these right?"

"I haven't had one of these in years" she lifted the glass and took a sip, enjoying the sting of the fairly bitter drink "Hod did you…" she trailed off, answering her own question. 'Of course' she thought to herself 'she's my friend. Wait, no, she's claiming to be my friend. Sharon is dead.' She tried her best to remain resolute in her position

"So, Yukiko, how have you been?" Yukiko looked up, snapping out of her trance

"oh, um…fine. Not working too much, just enjoying life with my husband" she grinned at the words as they came out, appreciating the life she had

"That's excellent, that's how life should be. The public must miss seeing your face" Yukiko blushed at the flattering statement

"Oh no, they always find someone new to ogle at" they both laughed at the observation and each took a sip of their drinks. Once their glasses were down silence fell on the two "Sharon" Yukiko involuntarily called her by her name, still not fully convinced it was her name at all

"Yes?" Sharon asked excitedly. She was just happy Yukiko had agreed to come at all

"What are you doing here?" Sharon was taken back by the serious inflection in her voice but wasn't too surprised by the question

"What are you really asking?" Now it is was Yukiko's turn to be thrown off. That was the last thing she had expected to hear. She meditated on the question as she polished off her cocktail. She had to decide at that moment whether or not she believed this was really the friend she had buried. The friend she had shared much of her adult life with. Was this really her friend….

"Where have you been?" Sharon smirked confidently at the question

"You're going to need another cocktail"

As Ran and Sonoko walked away from the school, Ran decided it was best to keep the conversation shallow to avoid worrying her friend anymore

"So Sonoko, how's Makoto?" She asked with a curious grin on her face

"Same as always. Only calls every week or so, sends me little gifts every once in a while but I'm not complaining" She smiled and pulled out her key ring, which now had a small picture frame attached to it. She grinned and held the picture up to Ran

"That's so cute!"

"Isn't it? He found the only picture of us together from that night he came to our chalet for Valentine's Day and I dropped him off at the airport. We took a quick picture using his phone before he left" Sonoko pulled the picture away, admiring it once more before returning it to her pocket

"So what are your plans for the weekend?" Ran asked after a few moments of watching Sonoko daydream, most likely about something indecent between her and Makoto

"Oh, nothing yet. I wouldn't be opposed to a day of shopping with my best friend if she was up for it!" Ran was overjoyed with the suggestion

"Of course! Let's say tomorrow at eleven!"

"Sounds great, I'll pick you up here" Ran looked at her questioningly for moment before looking to her left and noticing the large sign that read 'Mouri Detective Agency'.

"Sonoko, you know missed your street right?" Ran asked mockingly

"What I-" after thinking on it for a second she laughed to herself "I guess I did. Oh well, I'll see you tomorrow then"

"Bye!" Ran was content with the plans she had made. She needed a distraction and this was sure to do the trick. As she entered the Detective Agency she first noticed Conan sitting on the couch watching television. She crept up behind him in an attempt to surprise him when she heard him say with little emotion

"Ran you really aren't as sneaky as you think you are" she stopped in her tracks, startled by a few aspects of his statement. 'First of all, I AM sneaky, thank you. Karate has made me very light on my feet. Secondly, did you just call me by my name? And that sounded exactly like something Shinichi would say' She was far too deep in thought to pay any mind to the eight-year-old that was now standing right in front of her "Ran-neechan?"

"Oh!" Ran was shot back into the real world as abruptly as she had left it

"Ran-neechan are you ok?" Conan asked with childlike innocence

"Oh, yes I'm fine I was just…uh….thinking about something. Anyway, how was school today?"

"Boring, although Shiratori-keibu came into class and visited Kobayashi-sensei. It's always funny to watch them. When he left he kissed her on the cheek and her face was really red" Ran and Conan shared a laugh before she went into her room, leaving him there to return to what he was watching. He thought for a second before realizing he had no idea what he had been watching. He had been waiting there for Ran to get home. He shrugged off the thought and went to his room to get the Sherlock Holmes novel he had 'rented from the library'. In reality, he had simply gone to his father's library at his house and retrieved it. He walked back to living room and began reading it, comfortably nestled into a pillow on the arm of the couch. As he submersed himself in the novel he failed to noticed a prying set of eyes watching him from the front door


	3. Elated and Suspicious

_The day was Friday, March 4. It was a historic day in lives of Mouri Kogoro and Kisaki Eri. At least, according to their daughter it was. After ten years of separation they finally agreed to see each other for lunch. Although the date was agreed to partially based on threats from Ran to her father, it was nevertheless the first step to recovery. Eri and Kogoro met at the Beika Observatory Restaurant at 12: 30. When Eri arrived Kogoro was taken back by the form fitting outfit she was wearing which consisted of a purple turtle neck sweater which hugged all of her curves and a knee length gray skirt which accented her hips and legs. _

However, Kogoro, being the stubborn man he was, refused to admit any of this out loud. Instead he simply snorted at her when she sat down at the table and made a crass comment about how she must have been out of clothes to choose that outfit

"What?" her tone was the same stern and maternal one that he had missed for a decade

"You heard me woman. I come here dressed in my nicest suit and you can't even wear something presentable!" Kogoro was of course lying through his teeth as he said this. Actually, he did say one honest thing. He was wearing the best suit he owned. Ran had even teased him the night before because he had asked her iron it for him

"Shut up you overgrown ape!" Eri had been there all of thirty seconds and she was already looking at the door. Kogoro sensed this and quickly changed the mood of the conversation

"So, Eri…uh…how have you uh….been?" The question seemed genuine enough and his stammering was adorable to Eri so she smiled and conversed genially with him. They talked for well over two hours about various topics. Their professions, their recent success, their daughter and eventually they came upon the very awkward subject one another's personal lives.

"So Kogoro have you um…been on any uh….dates recently?" Kogoro was completely appalled by the question and almost jumped out of his seat

"Eri! Why would you even ask that?" He lifted his left hand and revealed the wedding band that he still wore "I'm a married man" Eri gaped as she analyzed the ring

"Kogoro how could you have been remarried? We haven't signed any divorce papers!" Kogoro slapped his hand roughly on his forehead

"It's our wedding ring you idiot!" Eri could only sit down silently and attempt to process what her husband had said to her. She caught a glimpse at her own hand and saw her naked fourth finger. She shed a small tear which Kogoro noticed and quickly wiped away much to Eri surprise

"I feel so stupid" She kept her head down in shame

"Don't. It's not your fault. After ten years its not surprising you finally gave up on our marriage" Eri's eyes shot up from the table and locked with his forcefully

"But you never gave up it so what gave me the right to!" She screamed almost at the top of her lungs despite the public area they were in

"Because I'm not as smart as you. I could never date another woman because you were always in the back of mind. I couldn't give up on our marriage because I knew the alternative meant giving up on any happiness I could ever have." Kogoro's confession had been intended to stop his wife's tears, but instead it did quite the opposite. Now Eri was practically sobbing and Kogoro felt like a supreme jerk. Until she looked up and smiled at him

"Why…couldn't you…have said that...ten years ago?" She asked rhetorically, still trying her best to breathe despite the avalanche of water that was streaming down her face. Kogoro grinned at the query and got up from his seat. He walked over to her side and stood beside her with his hand outstretched. She looked up and saw his hand, noticing that he was not facing her. She was confused before she heard him say most romantic thing she had ever heard

"Hey, are you gonna sit there all day or can we go? You still have to get to work do you not?" The look in his eyes was one of manufactured indifference which amused his wife. She giggled and took his hand. He pulled her out of her seat and they exited the restaurant. When they got to Eri's car, Kogoro elected to drive her since her eyes were still hazy from her tears. She consented and they were on their way. They reached Eri's office and as they went to part Kogoro made a simple gesture, which, to others may have seemed menial but to them it was a monumental. As Kogoro waved his arm to flag down a cab as he looked back at his wife and, with a confident wink said

"I'll see you at home alright?" He asked the question in a seemingly apathetic manner, as if it wasn't really a question at all. As if it was something he said to her every day after lunch. Eri was visibly awestruck. She hadn't heard those words from anyone in so long they were almost incomprehensible. She gave him a quizzical stare which he chose not to respond to. As the cab pulled up he waved to her and left, allowing her to soak in the invitation he had outstretched to her.

As the cab drove off, Kogoro couldn't help but let out a let a huge contented laugh. The cab driver looked at him and rolled his eyes as Kogoro screamed out happily

"Mouri Kogoro is the coolest!"

As the cab pulled up in front in front of the Beika Metropolitan Police Precinct, Kogoro handed the driver a wad of bills and walked away. He had no idea how much money it was, he just knew that he was in a great mood and that driver deserved a tip for some reason. When he walked into the homicide department where the staff gave him puzzled glances as he strode toward Megure's office gleefully. When he walked in the officers and investigators could only watch through Megure uncovered windows as Kogoro yelled something excitedly and Megure practically fell over in his seat. In an uncharacteristic gesture Megure walked over to his long time friend and hugged him, sharing in his joy. They both wore immeasurable smiles as they conversed.

Eri had tried her hardest to work after her lunch date but it was made clear relatively quickly that no work was getting done, not today.

"Midori!" Eri yelled playfully as she bumped her on the shoulder

"Uh yes Ms. Kisaki?" She was almost frightened by the cheerful expression plastered on her face

"I'm leaving early, cancel all my appointments!" Her voice still retained its uncharacteristic elation

"um…yes ma'am" Midori simply shook her head and went back to her work. 'I wonder if she had a date tonight or something?' she thought to herself with a small grin.

Eri made it to the Mouri Detective Agency in record time. It was just a little past 15:30 and the door to the living room was cracked open. She walked up the stairs and peeked in the door before entering. The room was still except for the small child who was flipping through the pages of a novel. When she looked closer she could see the cover of book which read 'The Sign of the Four'. She thought back to what her daughter had said to her a few days prior on the phone

**~Flashback~**

"It was really strange Okasan, I was cleaning Shinichi's library and one his Holmes novels was missing"

"Ran why do you still clean this house? Really, if he wanted it clean he would clean it himself."

"Okasan!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. Is it possible that he came by and took it to read"

"Um…But that would mean he was here in Tokyo and didn't come see…" Ran trailed off, finding the prospect difficult to swallow

"Sweetheart it is possible that he only had a small lapse of time to be here and he didn't want to get your hopes up. I bet it hurts him to leave as much as it hurts you to watch him go" Ran listened intently and digested what her mother had told her

"I suppose you're right. It was his favorite novel that was missing after all"

"Which one is that?"

"The Sign of the Four, he even made me read it. He says it's the best book that's ever been written."

"Well, did you like it?"

"It was really good. But I didn't tell him that" Ran chuckled lightly "I wouldn't want to give him the satisfaction" They both laughed heartily at the shrewdness of her actions

"okay well I have to get back to work. I will talk to you soon"

"Wait Okasan!" Eri hesitated with the phone. She knew what was coming and groaned at the thought

"Yes…"

"You're still seeing Otosan for lunch on Friday right?" Eri sighed into the phone

"I suppose…"

"Arigato! Bye Okasan"

**~End Flashback~**

Eri was determined to figure out what was going on. She had heard her daughter say on multiple occasions that Conan acted just like Shinichi but she had never thought anything of it. But now there was evidence; physical evidence. If the truth was as this evidence portrayed it to be then Shinichi was going to have some serious explaining to do. Eri stood up and opened the door, hardly fazing Conan who was absorbed in the story he was reading. She stood over him with searing eyes, analyzing every detail about his posture, his countenance, his gestures, everything. The similarities were frightening, but she had no means to conclude anything until she answered the one ominous question: Was the novel Conan was reading the one missing from the Kudo library? And if so, who exactly was Conan and what was his connection to Kudo Shinichi?


	4. Almost Everyone's Happy

Vermouth leaned back in her chair. She took a deep breathe and reinitiated eye contact with the woman across from her. She had been rehearsing her story since the moment she hung up the phone after her talk with Yukiko. Over and over she had recited the exact words, down to the most precise details. It had to be perfect otherwise she would make her friend suspicious.

"I was kidnapped" She began soberly. Yukiko made no response to the words and instead simply continued to stare at her "I was knocked out after a party in Los Angeles. When I woke up there was rope tied at each of my wrists. The rope was floating off the ground so I concluded that it attached to the walls on either side of me. My ankles were shackled by metal cuffs that hooked to the floor beneath me. There was only one light on. It was dim and it was directly over my head. Whoever apprehended me must have noticed I had regained consciousness because four rows of florescent lights flashed on and the room was completely illuminated. The room was surrounded by mirrors. Luckily I had experience with mirrors and I figured out quickly that it was a two way mirror-"

"I've heard of this" Yukiko said, trying her best to relate to her seemingly outlandish tale "Sex-traffickers use a system like this in third world countries." Sharon nodded in agreement

"So if you recognize that then you can guess what happened next…" she ducked her head down, acting to the best of her ability. Yukiko was sharp but she was fooled by the act. Sharon's shame seemed completely genuine

"They….auctioned you" Yukiko strained to get the words out

"Yes. I was sold relatively quickly because I was famous. When the bidding stopped the lights went out again and I felt a firm hand push a moist cloth over my face." She paused to allow her friend to intake the information. She felt a degree of guilt with every word she said. Not because it was a lie, but because hearing the story was actually hurting the naïve woman in front of her. She was freely toying with her emotions and on some level deep below the surface, it hurt her as well. Nevertheless she continued on with her fable

"When I awoke again" Vermouth paused as the waiter placed a new cocktail in front of each of them. They both sipped their beverages before Yukiko signaled for Sharon to continue

"Please go on" Yukiko requested

"Of course. So when I awoke again I was in the back of a moving truck. I was surrounded by five other women, all of different origin. Or at least that's what I assumed from their skin tones and the total silence between them. I tried to gather my bearings and figure out where I was when I noticed something: there was nothing keeping me in the bed of that truck. Even more fortunately there was a sheet that covered most of the back window in the truck so we were hardly visible to the driver. I thought quickly and took the presented opportunity: I jumped." Yukiko gasped in shock. By this point the story had her on the edge of her seat. It was starting to sound more and more like an action movie

"But wait, Sharon, why didn't anyone ever come after you?" this was the question Sharon had prepared for more than any other

"Simple. They planted a body in New York with my appearance. That's why everyone thought I was dead." Yukiko pondered the concept momentarily before adding the circumstances up in her head and accepting the explanation

"Okay I understand. So what happened after that?"

"I managed to find a small town about six miles down the road. As it turned out I had been transported to a remote part of the Congo. Upon hearing my dialect they directed me to their U.S Embassy building. I told them my story and they arranged for my transport back. They told me no missing person's report had been issued in my name and that based on the date I gave them for my kidnapping I had been gone approximately seven weeks." Yukiko looked confused by the time frame

"So wait, if you were brought back to the United States after less than two months, where have you been the last five years?"

"Hiding, Yukiko, hiding" Yukiko was still considerably puzzled

"Why? Why didn't you just come forth and say you were alive?"

"Because the men that kidnapped me were still rooted here. If I had just come back and announced my return they would've come back for me. You see?" Yukiko nodded half-heartedly, trying her best to wrap her head around the story

"Then why now?"

"I got tired of hiding so I contacted the Government Protective Agencies. They agreed to mask my identity, but I have to leave the country. I wanted to say goodbye and clear everything up before I left." Yukiko started to cry and pushed her eyes away from her long time friend

"I'm glad you did" Yukiko mumbled, still sobbing "It's good to know you're alive and safe." Vermouth shut her eyes and reached deep down into the deepest reserves of determination she possessed and let out the last words she had come there to say

"Yukiko…" She started with a pause for consideration "I want you to meet me once more tomorrow night" Yukiko shook her head violently

"Of course! Of course I will! Where?"

"At the hotel I'm staying at. Here's the room key, it's room 1408 at the Sherriton." Vermouth handed her the key and left her at the table. Before Yukiko could object Sharon was already out the door of the restaurant. Yukiko sat and stared at the card which read 'Sherriton Hotels' on the side. She squeezed it tightly and stood up to leave, placing the half empty 'Amber Dream' on the table.

"Oh my, its already after midnight what am I going to tell Yuusaku?" She squeaked picking up her pace and quickly entering her car

"Oh hello Conan-kun!" Eri said in an excessively friendly tone, startling Conan who had known this woman since he was _actually_ a kid. He looked up at her and noticed an expression to match her voice. He cringed at it internally but smiled back

"Eri-sama! What are you doing here?" Conan asked feigning childish innocence although he really did want to know why she was there

"Oh well I'm uh…" she blushed at the words before they even escaped her mouth "Staying for dinner" Almost telepathically Ran kicked her door down and searched the living room for the source of the words she had just heard.

"Ran-neechan!" Conan screamed in surprise as the shattered pieces of wood scattered all around the room

"What did you say?" Ran asked with a completely peaceful demeanor despite the means she used to enter the room

"Ran I think your father and I might take up residence with one another again…" She gave the words time to sink in. Ran's face lit up in a way it hadn't in a very long time. Conan smiled ear to ear as she hugged her mother. 'She looks so beautiful when she smiles' he thought as he continued to observe her

"What happened Okasan!"

"Well, we had lunch and we both admitted that we had been a little stubborn about our differences and decided it'd be better for everyone if we just lived together again" Ran looked at her mother with a pouting face

"You make it sound so unromantic!"

"Well I'm sorry your father didn't show up in a knight's costume and whisk me off of my feet Princess" Eri shot a look back at her daughter along with a menacing grin

"It's not like that!" Ran and Conan screamed out in unison. Both Eri and Ran looked over at Conan suspiciously. He sunk deeper into the couch and tried to laugh off the unrelenting stares

"I'm going to the Professor's house bye!" he yelled as he sprinted out the door, allowing no time for objection. Ran took a step toward the door to stop him but Eri grabbed her by the wrist, halting her progress.

"Okasan what are you…" she trailed off and noticed the concerned look in her mother's eyes

"Ran I need you tell me about something" Ran's countenance quickly changed to a serious once, matching her mother's

"Hai" she responded curtly, anxious to hear the query her mother had for her

"Tell me about Conan-kun and Shinichi-kun"

Kogoro gave Megure one last wave before exiting the office. As Kogoro disappeared into the elevator, Sato was the first to run out from her office and confront Megure

"Inspector?" Megure stared at her with an air of confusion "What was that about, with Mouri-tantei? Was it important? Did it involve a case?" Sato was never one to tiptoe around the point

"Um no actually it wasn't. It was something that's been ten year's in the making" Megure smiled again as he thought about it, taking in a deep breath of relief

"Well, what was it?" Shiratori asked from his desk a few feet away

"Hey shouldn't you be working?"

"You should tell us and get it over with. You know you're going to be harassed about it until you do" Yumi pitched in jokingly. Megure sighed, giving in to the truth in her statement

"Alright fine. For those of you whom are interested, Mouri has reconciled with his estranged wife"

"Kisaki Eri!" Takagi asked, poking his head from his desk, which was three desks back from Shiratori's

"Yes, Kisaki Eri. Or better yet, Mouri Eri" Sato and Yumi blushed at the romantic implications of the name adjustment

"That's fantastic news" Shiratori commented, earning nods from his fellow officers

"There's more." Megure said, regaining his composure and straightening up, trying his best to address the officers around him as their Chief Inspector and not just a pal

"Oh" Sato and Yumi recognized the change in his countenance and straightened up as well

"A-hem. Starting next Monday, Mouri will be returning to the police department as an inspector" the room fell silent at his words. It had been so long since he served with the police that most of the officers weren't even aware he had been an officer at all.

"But Inspector" Sato addressed him professionally "Who will be his partner?" Megure grinned at the question he had expected

"He will personally assist me on cases. In many ways he will be acting a co-Chief Inspector. I will still be his superior but he will be yours. Is that understood?" The precinct all acknowledged the decree in unison and returned to their work. Sato walked back toward her office but was stopped by a hand on her arm

"Sato-san" She looked down at the man whom she had recently declared her boyfriend. He was sitting in his chair with a concerned look on his face "What is it? Are you upset about Mouri-san?" He asked, holding her gaze throughout

"No, its not that, its just…."she stopped herself, shaking her head "It's nothing. Its stupid, I have work to do" she tried to pull away only to see Takagi gracefully slide out of his chair and stand in front her, now holding both of her arms

"It's not nothing. What is it?" This was why she had come to adore this man. He had a way of be both loving and stern. He could be awkward and innocent and yet completely serious and professional at the same time. It baffled her, but she didn't question it. She smiled at him, knowing there was no way he would drop the topic until she came clean, and dragged him into her office.

"The truth is Wataru, I don't like that he is getting such a high position. I mean, I've been here for years, working diligently and that tantei gets to supersede me. Its unfair" Takagi strode over to her and forced their eyes together

"Miwako, it's not your choice. I'm sure the Inspector doesn't think any less of you. You have to understand, he and Mouri are great friends and they were partners before he left the force. This is probably just as much for himself as it is for Mouri." Sato let her head fall onto his chest and rest there

"I guess you're right. Still…"

"I'm sure when the time comes, you'll be at the top of his list for promotions" He grinned at the top her head, knowing that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Thank you" she whispered bashfully, blushing as she pushed herself off of him. They stared at one another again and were both content in the moment until a very inopportune knock came at her door. Both jumped at the sound and separated with outlandishly red painted faces. Yumi walked into the office beaming merrily

"What is it Yumi?" Sato asked frantically, trying to retain a professional demeanor

"Oh, nothing, just wanted to give you this" she threw a thin manila folder on her desk and skipped out the office. Takagi and Sato turned to one another, Takagi scratching the back of his neck nervously. Sato, amused by his awkwardness leaned up and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek

"Get back to work, officer" Takagi blushed furiously

"H-Hai!" he yelled excessively and shot out of the office. She giggled to herself as he left. However her laughter was soon quelled by a thought that she had shoved to the back of her mind

'Did….did he just call me by my first name?' she sat down at her desk staring at him and continuing to ponder the question.

As Takagi flopped down in his seat, shaking all of the belongings on his desk, he found himself unable to concentrate due to a certain voice replaying in his head. He smiled and melted into his seat 'It's nice when she calls me Wataru…'

As Yukiko crept in the door to her bedroom she tried her best to slide unnoticed into her bed. She gave a sigh of relief when she made it under the covers with no movement from her husband. She turned to reach out and hold her husband closer when her eyes widened. She reached out further and still nothing. He wasn't there. Just as she rolled over to exit the bed the light flipped on and there he stood, staring at her judgingly from behind his spectacles

"H-Honey uh…why are you s-still up?" Yukiko stammered, already accepting how busted she was

"Sweetheart, its after one o'clock in the morning, where have you been?" his eyes were piercing, she couldn't have lied if she wanted to

"I was at dinner I told you" Yuusaku continued to stare at her

"For four hours?" he asked tersely

"Yes, honey, we were talking and time got away from us" he kept his eyes on hers, analyzing her for any sign of falsehood

"Then" he said, making Yukiko cringe "let's go to bed" he said smiling at her. She didn't seem to understand his intentions until he walked over to her and gave her a short kiss. Her eyes fluttered as he pulled back and crawled past her to his side of the bed. He pulled the blankets up to his chest and placed his glasses on the nightstand beside him. He flicked the lights off but smirked as he noticed his wife's eyes were still glued to him "What is it?" he asked

"N-Nothing" she hesitated before rolling over and relaxing her body. Yuusaku had almost drifted off to sleep before he felt a hand work its way onto his chest. This wasn't the usual 'putting a hand on you for comfort', this was….seductive. He opened his eyes and looked at his wife who was wearing a devilish smile

"You know" he said, placing a hand under her chin "I don't have to work tomorrow" she giggled at his hidden proposition

"You never really 'have' to work dear, you're an author" he grinned

"I suppose. Nevertheless, I was thinking-" before he could continue Yukiko pressed her lips urgently to his and he received her with open arms. She rolled on top of him and he pulled the blankets up on top of them both. It was a beautiful night. The day had been full of heart warming moments and meetings. Joy was bursting forth from many directions, but not all. Not everyone can be happy every night.

* * *

**Forgot to mention in the last chapter, an 'Amber Dream' is a cocktail made with Vermouth and another very bitter alcohol. **

**not that its _significant_ or anything :P**

**we're just getting started so keep reading**


	5. What a Night Deserves

_Due in large part to Ran's assistance, Eri managed to prepare a presentable meal, much to the delight of Kogoro, who, despite their reunion had still feared for his health at the thought of her cooking._ _Once the meal was finished, Eri and Kogoro headed to his bedroom to unpack some of the things she had brought with her for the night. Though they hadn't actually discussed her staying, but he didn't seem to mind the intrusion. After they disappeared for the night Conan opted to sleep on the couch, seeing as a married couple's bedroom seemed like an uncomfortable place to be especially on that particular night. Soon he was passed out and the only person left awake in the house was Ran who, after finishing the dishes, retired to room and took her usual seat beside her window. _

As the clouds rolled past the moon, Ran followed them with longing blue eyes. Many nights she had repeated this same process before drifting off into unconsciousness. Sleep did not come as easily to the poor young woman as it once had. Her mind, which at one point held no worry higher than a simple school assignment was now plagued by constant worry and fear for the ever-absent Kudo Shinichi. It was ironic really, when he was there with she couldn't help but blush or giggle every time she saw him. Even then he consumed most of her mental energy.

"This much really be a difficult case, Shinichi" she whispered out the window, as if by means of the wind her messages would reach him. "It would have to be for you to be away so long…." She muttered without an air of doubt in her voice "that is….where you are…right?"

**~Flashback~**

"Tell me about Conan-kun and Shinichi-kun" Eri said soberly, leaving no doubt in her daughter's mind that the request was a serious one

"Okasan what's going on?" Ran asked sincerely, puzzled by her mother's question

"Ran, no questions right now. I need you to tell me everything you can about Shinichi-kun and Conan-kun. When have you seen Shinichi since he left, and when have you seen Conan and Shinichi together?" Ran pondered the instances for a moment

"Well, in order, the times I saw Shinichi would be…the case with Hattori-kun when he appeared for a few minutes then left."

"And what condition was he in when he left?"

"He was sweating and coughing a lot. He seemed very sick. I went to get the doctor and when I returned he left"

"And where was Conan-kun during all of this?"

"He was in another room sleeping. He was feeling ill as well that day"

"So…" Eri paused to piece together the information "So you're saying that you never actually saw Conan and Shinichi at the same time that day and they had both been sick that day?" Ran hesitated at the interrogative

"Uh…yes" Ran's face strained as she thought back to the details of the day "Now that I think about, when Shinichi fell down the stairs and disappeared, I heard him scream from the bathroom." Eri raised an eyebrow of interest "But when I checked the bathroom, Conan-kun was on the toilet and he was wearing an adult sized white dress shirt"

"Ran" she cringed, knowing what question was coming "What was Shinichi-kun wearing that day?" Ran grimaced

"A suit top with….a white button-up shirt" Eri looked away from her daughter, finding it difficult to digest the seemingly impossible conclusion they had just come to "But wait!" Ran screamed hysterically, trying her best to deny the obvious as she had in the past

"What honey what is it?"

"There was that time at the play! I saw Shinichi and Conan-kun at the same time. Conan was sick, he was wearing a mask over his face but it was him!" Eri looked down again, putting her deductive reasoning to work

"Sweetheart, how intelligent would you say Shinichi-kun is?" Ran smirked

"I'd never tell him, but he's the smartest person I know. He always has been…"

"Then we must keep all possibilities open. Keep in mind; he has Agasa Hakase to help him as well…." Ran clenched her fists and shot up out of her seat staring at her mother with a degree of hostility

"It's NOT possible!" she barked forcefully "I am not that blind and he would NOT lie to me like that…." Her temper cooled and he sat back down, tears forming subtly in her eyes "he cares about me more than that…I know it" Eri was completely dumfounded by the emotional insecurity of her daughter. She'd never seen her like that, so…volatile. She moved forward and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug, trying her best to comfort her.

**~End Flashback~**

"Shinichi...Okasan made everything sound so obvious…" she pressed her forehead to the cold glass on her window "But you wouldn't lie to me…" she whimpered helplessly as the truth, or lack there of, slowly dawned on her. 'No' she thought to herself 'you couldn't. There's no way you could do that to me. If that were true then…all the times I've cried about you…you've been right here…watching.' She left her window and crept out her door. She snaked her way to the couch and froze in front of the sleeping seven-year-old. 'Heh' she scoffed confidently 'How's that for 'not sneaky'?' She enjoyed the moment for only a second before her mind refocused. She crouched down beside Conan and brought her face within inches of his. For the first time since their meeting, she analyzed his face without the guise of spectacles. He really did look exactly like Shinichi when he was a child. The resemblance was far too uncanny to be a coincidence. 'But how would that even be possible?' She thought. Every time she had suspected Conan of being Shinichi in the past the question that had deterred was this same question. 'Its not possible' she concluded resolutely 'there's no way. A teenager can't just magically become a child. But…they are so similar and Shinichi has been gone since the day Conan arrived…' She shook her head and left his side. 'I need to get to bed. My mind is getting hazy' she glanced back at the sleeping child once more before entering her room and rolling into bed. As she prepared to doze off, she looked over to her desk where her phone laid. She smiled and picked it up, scrolled through her contacts and sent a quick text message. She giggled happily to herself once more and fell asleep.

Meanwhile in America Yukiko had just arisen from her unconscious stupor. She glanced over at her husband contently, observing the depth of his current slumber. She caressed his bare chest with the delicate tips of her fingers which caused the traces of a smile to appear on his face. She pulled her hand away and rose up out of the bed, stretching thoroughly and enjoying the morning sun's warmth on her still nude body. She turned back to her husband and giggled

"I think I'll let my lover sleep a little longer." She walked to the back of their bedroom door and swiped her bathrobe from the hook on it. She put it on and walked down the stairs into their kitchen. She turned on the coffee machine and perused the refrigerator for possible breakfast options "I'll make a scrumptious breakfast for us. A great night deserves a great morning" she hummed merrily as she placed a number of items on the counter. "Let's see…eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, English muffins, French toast! Oh my, this is going to be splendid." As she took to preparations a pair of masculine hands grasped her at the waist. She fell back against the man she knew to be standing behind her. He smiled and brought his head forward to rest on her shoulder

"No fair, you weren't supposed to wake up yet" she turned toward him and gently kissed his temple "But I suppose I forgive you"

"This all smells wonderful Yukiko." After another minute or so of enjoying the position they were in, Yukiko finally broke their silence

"You know I can't really cook with you draped over me like this" he reluctantly released her and took a seat at the kitchen table, lifting a newspaper to his face. It took somewhere around fifteen minutes to prepare the entire meal. Once it was ready Yukiko set the table and Yuusaku tossed his paper aside

"This is fantastic sweetheart. I'm starving" He couldn't say much more before his mouth was full. Yukiko snickered at her husband's unorthodox hunger until her stomach began to growl as well. They did have a reason to be hungry after all.

Vermouth sat up in her bed with dark gray bags around her eyes. She had obtained little sleep the previous night. She walked to the shower and turned it on. The water was cold but that was how she always showered. The icy stream of water sent goosebumps up her spine and a healthy shiver through her body. Despite her body's reaction, her face made no notable movement. The water poured over head and through her hair as it abruptly ripped her out of her drowsiness. She shut the water off and breathed in deeply. Once she was dried and dressed she exited her room and entered the elevator. She jumped when she felt a lump on her inner thigh until she remembered it was her 9" pistol. 'I've been doing this so long I pack my gun without even noticing' she mused as the elevator doors opened and revealed the lobby of a high end hotel. As she exited the hotel the sign atop its awning read "Hilton Garden Hotel".

Back at the Mouri Residence, Ran had fallen deep into slumber but there was still movement within the house. Conan, who had overheard much of the conversation between Eri and Ran thanks to a bug he had planted in one of the lights in the living room, was now standing outside the Detective Agency with a phone in his ear.

The atmosphere at Agasa's house was tranquil. Both Hakase and Haibara were quiet souls so there evenings were often consumed by work. This night was no exception. They had been hard at work on a chemical agent that would hopefully weaken the immune system enough to allow a new experimental antidote to work more effectively. They had been laboring for hours when the phone rang. They were both startled seeing as it was well past midnight but they nevertheless answered the call.

"Agasa Residence Agasa speaking…Oh Shinichi what is it?" Haibara's ear pricked up at the name of the caller "Mhm…right. Oh my, we'll do what we can but I think we should talk so come by here tomorrow when you can. Okay, goodbye"

"What was it Hakase?" Haibara asked shrewdly

"Shinichi said that Eri's presence in the house is becoming troublesome for him"

"Why would that be?"

"Because she is very observant and she suspects him of being Conan already" Haibara almost fell out of the stool she was sitting in "He wants an antidote pill. Just a temporary one so he can deceive her. Once her suspicions are quelled he'll return to being a child" Haibara grasped her chin thoughtfully

"At the rate we're going he might not have to" Agasa nodded in agreement

"Which is precisely why I wanted him to come talk with us in person tomorrow"

"The only downside to this possible cure is that it will require a few days of bed rest to take full effect. We will have to monitor him carefully as the immunosuppressant runs its course throughout his body." Agasa turned away from her and looked down at the array of equipment on the workbench

"Let's hope this works. If this package is from who we think then his façade has failed and they have discovered both of your identities." Haibara tried her best to retain her cold demeanor despite the obvious fear in her eyes.

"Indeed. This is definitely a disturbing turn of events" She lifting up the bottle of unsweetened Amontillado Sherry with a bright red ribbon tied around the neck. As they both observed the ominous symbol the glisten of glasses in the moonlight could be seen from the upstairs window of the house next door to them. In the room a smug Okiya Subaru grinned mischievously as he sipped from a glass of premium aged Bourbon and held a phone to his ear.


	6. Something Important to Tell You

_After a short phone call Yukiko confirmed that she would be meeting her old friend Sharon at 9 p.m. She and her husband had been laying around lazily for hours seeing as it was his 'day off'. As much as they were both enjoying the simplicity of the day, they could only sit around for so long. They were both busybodies, and to accomplish nothing with their day was torture for them. So when 6 30 p.m. rolled around they decided it was time to get dressed and do something productive. Yukiko informed him of her follow-up dinner with the 'friend' from the previous night. He was completely accepting and questioned her no further about the topic much to her relief. In the back of her mind, however, she couldn't help but think he knew something already. _

Conan awoke early that morning. He glanced down at his watch and acknowledged a florescent 9:30 and decided he would get out of the house before anyone had time to deter him. He clothed himself and before 10 came he was out the door. He left a brief note for Ran to inform her of his location and his plans for the day. As he walked down the street in the still brisk morning air, he considered logically the possible reasoning for such an urgent meeting with the professor and Haibara. He tried not to allow elation to overtake his mind at the thought of a new antidote. This could be another gadget or news about an invitation addressed to his real self. He stuffed his hands further into his pockets and let a small grin reveal itself as an unwanted thought enshrouded his mind. 'Heh' he thought to himself 'or it could a new antidote'.

Haibara and Agasa were exhausted. Completely and utterly worn out and it was visible. There was no hiding how late they had been up or how hard they been working. They had been asleep for a mere 45 minutes when an ear-piercing knock came at the front door.

At the Mouri Residence a similar knock came at the door. Despite the very deep slumber Ran was enjoying she was quick to awaken at the sound of the knock. She leapt out of bed and threw her bathrobe on. Then she went to the door merrily and threw it open with a wide smile on her face

"Kazuha-chan!"

"Hattori what are you doing here?" asked a very tired Haibara

"Well Kazuha got a mail last night from neechan' asking her to come here as soon as possible for a visit. This morning she was standing over my bed at seven in the morning. She said we were going to Tokyo and dragged me out the door. I barely had time to get a shirt on!" Hattori became more irritated with the situation as he recalled the details of his own story

"You didn't answer her question" Agasa said drowsily, rubbing his eyes with both hands "Why are you _here_?" Hattori lifted a deductive finger in the air

"Right. Well, we arrived at the Detective Agency but before we went inside Kazuha turned to me with a really serious and said

**~Flashback~**

"Heiji, I need you to leave" Heiji's gaped at the comment, thoroughly dumbfounded. This only lasted a few seconds before his temper caught up with the situation

"What! You drag me out here this early and now you're telling me to-" he was cut off rather abruptly by a gentle index finger pressed against his lips

"I'm sorry but Ran-chan said she really wanted to talk to me and she won't want to talk openly if you're there. I promise I'll make it up to you, we can go anywhere you want later" Her serene jade eyes were a clear indicator that he had already lost the fight. She was the only person that could shut him down so easily. He didn't know whether it was the ambiance of the moment, seeing her so genuine and concerned or the fact that his morning stupor had left bits of his mind still non-functioning but he did something more daring and brash than anything he'd ever done before in his life: he reached up and took a light hold her wrist, stabalizing it, and pushed his lips onto her finger. The kiss was so gentle most wouldn't have even noticed it occurred. But she did, and her face was in an inferno of red embarrassment within an instant. He took a step back and said suavely

"Deal" and like that, he was off down the stairs and around the corner.

**~End Flashback~**

"Well Hattori aren't you the brave one today" Haibara said with a smirk

"Shut up! Anyway I couldn't think of anywhere else to go in Tokyo so I just came here.

"Well Shinichi is supposed to be coming by this morning so I suppose you can wait here until he does" Agasa rubbed his eyes again and yawned

"That sounds fine. Would you mind if I went to the kitchen? I didn't have a chance to eat before we left."

"Sure. There should be some bran cereal in the cupboard, help yourself" Agasa smiled at him hospitably as Heiji grimaced at the thought of plain bran cereal.

"Thank you Agasa" after his show of gratitude he made his way to the kitchen. Agasa walked back up the stairs to his bed but Haibara decided to follow Heiji into the kitchen. As Heiji pulled the aforementioned cereal out of the cupboard he sensed her presence and addressed her

"Oi, why did you call Kudo here today? You never tell him to come here for no reason" Heiji's voice was stern and interrogating as he poured the cereal into a bowl, still facing away from her

"It's true, we do have a specific reason for his visit today. However I feel it would be best if I waited until he was here to explain it to both of you" Heiji nodded as he poured milk into the bowl he was holding and turned to face her

"Just tell me, does this involve _them_?" Haibara grinned as she turned to leave the room. She waved a hand behind her as she walked away

"Thankfully, no. At least, not directly" Heiji grabbed his chin and sat down at the table in the kitchen. He pondered the implications of her words for a few moments before breaking his trance and helping himself to the food he had prepared for himself

Back at the Mouri Residence, a blushing Kazuha stood before an elated Ran

"Kazuha-chan!"

"Good morning!" Kazuha returned, trying to shake off her thoughts about the incident twenty minutes prior to her actually knocking on the door

"Kazuha you look like your freezing how long have been out there?" Ran asked with the maternal tone that she sported often

"Oh not too long maybe…twenty minutes" Kazuha ducked her head down, staring at the ground

"What?" Ran jumped at the admission "Why were you out there for so long?"

"Well see…." Kazuha hesitated and became flushed again as she recollected the event

"Kazuha what is it? And why is your face red? And where is Hattori?" Kazuha started to sweat under the scrutiny of her friend

"" her flurry of words for the most part escaped Ran's realm of comprehension, but a few words were distinctly clear

"He kissed you! And you rejected him!" Kazuha shook her hands wildly at the accusation

"No no no I told him to leave because I thought you wanted to hang out alone and that's when he…you know, did it" Kazuha had not stopped blushing since the moment Ran opened the door and yet somehow the red on her face had continued to brighten throughout the whole conversation

"Kazuha that's so great!" Kazuha's face toned down as she put the event perspective and remembered why she was there in the first place

"Well come on get dressed we're going out to eat!"

"First I have to shower. Just wait out here I'll be ready in a little bit. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen" and with that she disappeared into the bathroom. Kazuha sighed and sat down on the couch and pulled out her phone. She giggled gleefully as she typed a message and sent it then slouched down into the furniture and sighed blissfully, analyzing her right index finger.

It was approximately two hours until her arranged meeting with her target Kudo Yukiko and Vermouth had almost completed preparations for the night. The curtains were opened in the Sherriton hotel room and the beds and furniture were removed as well. The room was almost completely empty aside for a corded phone and a mat with a pillow and blanket. Vermouth inspected the room thoroughly, checking on the cameras that were positioned in the bathroom, closet and main room. She completed her examination of the premises and concluded that everything was in order. She left the light on and left the room. Before she departed she checked the camera she had placed at the end of the hallway on the room's floor, the seventeenth floor. She smiled at its proficiency and walked into the elevator. She exited the hotel and made her way across the street. She kept walking for another two blocks before she came to another, larger hotel. She entered it and got into the elevator. The elevator arrived on the twenty-first floor and she exited. She walked down the hall and arrived at room 21-J. She unlocked the door and walked in. She flicked on the lights and looked around at her surroundings. She walked over the queen size bed in the center of the room and knelt beside it, facing the open wall window which had been stripped of its curtains and shudders. She pulled a long and semi-narrow bad out from under the bed and placed it in front of her. She unzipped it and began to pull out metallic pieces of her American made Chey Tac sniper rifle. She began to link the separated pieces together. The base of the gun was already in tact, so she merely had to attach the barrel, stock and scope. Once all the preparations were made she placed a two-pronged base beneath the rifle for stability and adjusted her sight. After a minute or so the target came into focus; her Sherriton Hotel room.

After half an hour of waiting Ran emerged from her bedroom, fully clothed and beaming with excitement.

"I called Sonoko she's going to meet us at the restaurant. Are you ready?" Kazuha nodded and they got up and left the house. Back in the master bedroom, Eri and Kogoro shuffled at the sound of door slamming shut. Kogoro blinked his eyes open and decided to rise for the day. As he stretched beside the bed he felt a hand reach out and clasp his

"Are you really getting up already? It is Saturday" Eri still had her head in her pillow but her hand had somehow found her husband's

"I have to eat at some point, and besides, I have some paperwork to go over with Megure"

"Megure?" Kogoro slammed his hand onto his forehead 'I knew I forgot to tell her something'

"Eri, there's something I have to tell you…" his voice was serious but not threatening. Eri rolled over and begrudgingly opened her eyes to look at him

"What is it Kogoro?"

"After what happened between us yesterday I decided it was time for me to…become an officer of the law once again" Eri's nodded until the words sunk in and she flew out of the bed and hugged him from behind, bringing her hands together at his sternum

"Honey that's great!" Kogoro smiled and glanced behind him

"That's why I have to get dressed and go see him. You'll make breakfast while I shower right?" She looked at him feigning anger

"And what if I don't want to!" She yelled at him, releasing him in order to smack his head with an open palm

"It wouldn't be the worst thing for my health" he retorted comically as he walked out of the room. She pouted momentarily before resolving to prove him wrong by preparing a fantastic meal

As Conan knocked on the Professor's door he prepared himself for Haibara's cold demeanor but was surprised to see a tall, tan-skinned teenager at the door smirking at him

"Oi Kudo, what took you so long I've been waiting here" Conan stared at him in confusion

"Hattori what are you doing here? It's" he looked down at his watch "11! I've been walking for an hour! Jeez…" he trailed, annoyed by his own snail pace

"Anyway, come on, that little girl has something important to tell us let's go" he turned and left down the stairs toward the lab, Conan following close behind

"Okay, he's here. Now, what's the big deal?" Heiji asked in his characteristically blunt way

"With the Professor's help I have completed the cure to the APTX's effect" Heiji's jaw dropped to the floor while Conan remained seemingly unfazed

"How long will it last?" Conan asked coldly

"Were you not listening Kudo-kun. It's a cure. A permanent cure" Haibara revealed a rare smile as Conan tried to contain his euphoria.

"Hiabara are you sure! This is the real thing!" Conan asked, allowing traces of the joy in his heart to flow out

"Yes, we're sure. There is a catch, you will be bedridden with a near fatal fever for a few days. Essentially we have to bring your body to its weakest possible point so the cure will be able to destroy the APTX cells. You will need to stay here so inform that precious girlfriend of yours that you will be 'camping' for the weekend." Conan pulled out his phone at the drop of a hat and already had the number dialed

"Ran-neechan I'm going camping with Agasa for the weekend then I'm going home to see my parents. Agasa will drop me off at the airport I just wanted to say goodbye but don't worry I'll call to you when I get home bye!" Before she could respond or refuse or question the call was over and Conan had the phone back in his pocket.

"You don't think that was a suspicious?" Heiji glared down at the now frantic and illogical eight year old

"It doesn't matter, once I have my real body back I'll be there with her as myself. I can worry about that later. Let's get this procedure started" Haibara and Heiji shook their heads and sighed aloud

"Okay Kudo-kun have a seat. I'm going to give you a few injections to spur the infection. The symptoms will hit you relatively quickly so we need to get you into bed as soon as we're through here." Conan nodded in acceptances of the terms and sat down, now more tame than before

"Hattori, I need you to do me a favor" Heiji looked at Conan with a suspicious eye as Conan smirked confidently. Meanwhile, Agasa slept comfortably, unaware of Shinichi's presence or the commencement of the procedure.

"Ran who was that?" Sonoko asked with concern as her friend hung up the phone with a awestruck expression

"It...was Conan-kun. He's going camping then he's going back to America. Conan-kun is leaving..." Kazuha and Sonoko were shocked by how upset she was by his departure

"It's alright Ran-chan it's not as if you'll never hear from him again. It'll be okay" Kazuha tried her best to console her friend but to no avail. She decided her only option at that point was to change the subject, but Sonoko, as if by telepathy, was already in process of doing so

"So Ran why'd you ask us to hang out today? From what Kazuha-chan told me the message you sent sounded urgent. So, what is it?" Ran shook herself out of the gloomy mood she was in and looked up at them

"Oh, well I wanted to tell you both in person that my parents got back together!"

"Ran that's great!" Sonoko and Kazuha exclaimed in unison, sharing in her friend's excitement

"It really is! I'm really happy for them. Its been so long and I-" she stopped midsentence at the sound of her phone buzzing in her pocket. She fished it out and looked at the caller I.D

"Who is it?" Sonoko asked suspiciously

"It's...Shinichi"

It was 11:30 a.m in Japan and 8:30 p.m in New York City.

* * *

**For those of you who haven't yet noticed I did in fact misintepret the time zones between Tokyo and New York. For the sake of this story I need you to imagine that the 9 hour diiference is actually New York 9 hours ahead of Tokyo. I know its wrong but its too late to go back now. Please don't let this distract or take away from the story as a whole. It's a menial detail. I just thought you should be aware. Please keep reading and reviewing, we're half an hour away from Yukiko big 'date' with Sharon.**

**Thank You**


	7. An Ominous Message

"Shinichi!" Ran exclaimed with unhindered exuberance

"Hey Ran what's up?" he asked with no sign of enthusiasm

"You called me didn't you?" she retorted

"Oh right. Listen is it okay if we…walk to school together on Monday?" he solicited shyly. Her face was far beyond shocked at this, which drew a few questions from her companions at the table

"Ran what happened!" Kazuha asked anxiously

"Isn't it obvious? That detective freak finally proposed to her, and its about time. Its as if they've been married for years anyway" Normally such a comment would have elicited a blush and a denial phrase from Ran, but at that moment should hear nothing around her. Her mind was so focused on the phone and what he had just said that she could hardly form a coherent thought

"I mean…" he mumbled sadly "you don't have to if you-"

"I will!" Ran shrieked in a panicked voice "I'll be there but you better be up! I don't want to be late!" She calmed down and joked with him to lighten the mood

"Okay I'll see you then. But wait, one more thing…" He started sheepishly

"W-What is it?" Ran had been so excited about his return that it hadn't occurred to her that he actually had something else to say

"Its just…uh…Ran would you have dinner with me at the Beika Observatory Monday night? I know it's a school night and if you-"

"Yes!" She cut him off again happily "But promise you won't leave me again and send a little kid to apologize for you!" In her mind the comment had been sarcastic but the way it came out was deathly serious and cold

"I won't leave you anymore Ran…I have to go now but I'll see you Monday" And like that, the call was over. It'd only been a few minutes long but it had brought Ran to tears. Sonoko jumped out of her seat angrily

"Alright that's it! When I get my hands on that detective punk I'm gonna…" her fury subsided as rapidly as it had surfaced when she noticed something and looked over at Kazuha for confirmation. Kazuha looked at her and gave a small grin of relief. Ran was smiling, she was crying but there was no trace of anguish to be seen.

"Ran…" Kazuha began, drawing her face nearer to Ran's to initiate eye contact "What did he say?" the question had Sonoko and Kazuha on edge, but there anxiety was relieved relatively quickly

"Shinichi…" she took a moment to wipe her eyes and lift her head to make eye contact with her two friends "he's coming back on Monday, to stay. And he wants to have dinner with me that night" It took a moment for the two girls to process the information but once they did they reacted as expected

"Finally!" Sonoko screamed out as long as she could despite the fact that they were in a restaurant. Kazuha jumped out of her seat and Sonoko turned her, still beaming with excitement for her friend. The two joined hands and proceeded to jump up and down, paying no mind to the patrons that were observing their spectacle. Ran was blushing madly at this point and pushed her face deep into a menu to hide herself from the on looking stares of the crowd.

"Are you happy" Heiji asked Conan irately

"Yes, thanks" he returned genially, ignoring the obvious annoyance in his friend's voice

"I can't believe you made me do that…you're despicable" Conan was laying helplessly on the spare bed in Agasa's house, straining for breath and clutching his chest. The conversation he managed to carry on with Heiji despite the pain he was in acted as a testament to his will power.

"Hattori-kun, don't be so dramatic, the situation was simple enough: Kudo-kun is going to be predominantly unconscious for the next few days so he wouldn't have had a chance to talk to her. He wanted her to know he was coming back but he didn't want her to hear the strain in his voice because it would have worried her. So he asked you to make the call for him using Agasa's voice changing device" Heiji looked down at his feet in defeat. Due her size he often forgot her actual age and level of maturity

"But still…" he started, trying hard to think a justifiable retort

"And besides" she pulled a white piece of notebook paper from his hand "he even scripted your lines for you. All you had to do was read" Heiji let out a heavy sigh and turned back toward the sickly eight year old

"Hey Hattori" Conan asked with an air of sarcasm in his tone which Heiji easily noticed

"Hm?"

"I heard about your little gesture to Kazuha…" he pricked up an inquisitive eyebrow, earning him a searing glare. Without turning around he addressed Haibara

"Blabbermouth little girl…" he mumbled spitefully just loud enough to catch her attention. She simply yawned and walked out of the room

"So Hattori, let's here it. What happened?" Conan inquired as he rose from his pillow to sit upright and face the Osakan teen

"No-thing!" Heiji roared defensively, essentially answering the question inadvertently

"Well I'm happy for you" Heiji looked down at him, considering giving him a swift punch to the head, but instead he just grumbled grievances under breath, none of which sounded anything like denial. Conan giggled to himself then leaned his back down onto his pillow and closed his eyes. Heiji grinned at the sleeping child and left the room.

"Ok well I'm going, I'll see you tonight" Yukiko chanted as she walked toward the door. Yuusaku got up from his chair and waved to his wife. They shared a smile and she exited the house. Once she was outside her face leveled out into a more serious countenance and she looked at the time on her phone "Fifteen minutes to nine. Plenty of time" she chuckled to herself as she entered her car. She turned it on and burst out of the driveway. Yuusaku followed the car from the window in the living room and once it was out of sight he returned to the book he was reading. He tried his best to focus but he was reasonably sidetracked. 'Who is she really going to see?' He continued to ask himself 'Could she be…unfaithful? No. Absolutely not, out of the question. Maybe she has begun to dabble in narcotics. No, I definitely would have noticed that large of a change in her personality. Where is she going…..' He continued to ponder about fifteen minutes until his phone went off and broke his concentration

"This is Kudo Yuusaku" he said officially

"Kudo-san" a familiar voice said from the other line

"Hakase! How are you?" he inquired amiably

"Excellent, I actually have some news for you" Yuusaku held the phone to his ear intently

"Is it about Shinichi?" he asked with a degree of concern

"Yes. The permanent antidote has been completed. Shinichi will be back to his original self in a few days. I thought I would inform now in case you wanted to visit" Yuusaku envisioned his plans for the upcoming weekend

"I think we could arrange that. Yukiko has been restless about his well being, especially since its been about four months since we last saw him. I will call you back and let you know when we're coming. Thank you for the update" he said and hung up. For a moment he slumped down into his chair, letting the reality of the recent conversation sink in. 'This ordeal has been hard on him, but its nearly over now' He looked down at his phone and decided it best to call his wife and tell her the good news. He dialed her number and listened for her to answer. But after five rings her recorded voicemail began to play and he hung up the phone. He was unnerved by this and decided, against his better judgment, to go find her. Meanwhile, sitting frightened in an empty hotel room, Yukiko stared at her phone which had a very ominous message on its display screen

_Kudo Yukiko, 800 yards north of you I am positioned with a high powered sniper rifle. If you make a move I will shoot and end your life. If you wish to survive this, do not touch your phone unless I instruct you to. Do not move away from the wall without my permission and if you must use the restroom signal to me that you are going to do so. I can see your every move so I will know if you break the rules. I don't wish to kill you but if force me to I will. For the time being, keep your phone in front of you and if I call you pick it up. _

_Message received at 9:02 p.m from sender: Sharon_

As Mouri Kogoro entered the police headquarters, he received a flood of congratulations and hand shakes. The women were impressed by his reconciliation with his wife while the men were happy to have him back on the police force. When he arrived on the homicide floor he was greeted by warm smiles and waves from the people he knew. He walked up to Megure's office and sat outside, waiting to be called in. Despite the position he had been graciously given he still acknowledged his friend as a superior. When Megure noticed him waiting he opened the door and beckoned him to enter

"You know you don't have to wait outside like that right?" Megure asked, surprised by his now-partner's skittishness

"Sorry about that" Megure gave him a wide grin and patted him on the back

"Don't be so nervous! Now come on, we have some paperwork to go over and then I can you a badge" Kogoro smiled genuinely at the prospect and sat down after closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, Sato sat covetously in her own office observing the exchange between the two. She let her elbows rest on her desk and turned her head to stare at Megure's office

"Sato-san…." Takagi whispered suggestively. Having been completely consumed by her jealous thoughts she jumped at the sound of his voice

"Uh hai!" Takagi was taken back by her outburst

"I have the last case report for you, here" he handed her a manila envelope stuffed with bounds of neatly collated documents. Sato reached out and took it hesitantly

"Is…something wrong?" He asked anxiously. He already knew what was bothering her but he wanted her to tell him, to confide in him

"No, nothing, I'm fine. Thank you for the report" Sato straightened up and began reading the report. Takagi lingered in her office for a few seconds, observing her and wishing she'd have just said what she was thinking. He shook his head and left the office, returning to his desk. After reading the case file for all of five seconds Sato returned to observing the office of her superior. She had no ill feelings for him, she just didn't understand his motives. Selfish as it was, she considered herself a much more apt officer than Mouri, or for that matter, most of the Beika homicide unit. She knew if she didn't get out of her office soon she was going to explode. Luckily, after a quick quick check of her watch she discovered it was 12:15, and that meant it was lunch break. She burst out of her office and took a deep breath. Without his consent or knowledge, Sato dragged Takagi out of his desk by the arm and into the elevator.

"Is it lunch already?" he asked with a disoriented gaze which made her giggle heartily to herself

"Kudo-kun you need to stop straining yourself. If you fight for consciousness you'll only hurt yourself more. Please, try to rest, that's the only thing that will make this go faster." Conan had begun to thrash and shake in the bed he was laying in due in large part to the influx of harmful chemicals into his body. Despite the morphine I.V in his arm, he was still in an agonizing amount of pain. Heiji had been told to hold his arms and legs but after ten minutes of doing so he was exhausted

"Agasa we need to give him an anesthetic" Agasa nodded to her and ran into the lab. He came back with a syringe and a small amber jar filled halfway with a clear liquid. "Hattori-kun, hold him still. We need to inject him with this" Heiji consented and took a firm hold of him. He took both of Conan's wrists in his right hand and pinned his arms to his chest. Then he placed his left arm across both of Conan's shins, holding them in place. Once he was steady Haibara wasted no time injecting him. After the drug was administered Heiji released the small boy. It took about ninety seconds for the drug to affect him, but it did its job and he was passed out.

"Should he really be in that much pain?" Heiji asked. Despite his impressive amount of overall knowledge, he knew little about medicine

"We are inducing a near fatal fever so yes, it should. But he will survive" Haibara reassured him with as little empathy as possible. The three of them left the room and began discussing a topic that had been plaguing Heiji since the moment he heard about the new cure

"So, once he is himself again, what will we do about _them_?" Heiji asked tritely. Haibara hesitated and looked up at Agasa for support

"We haven't considered it too much. All we know for certain is that they are already aware of our identities." Heiji gave her a wary look

"How do you know? Did they contact you?"

"In a manner of speaking" Heiji raised an eyebrow to her

"What does that mean exactly?" Haibara and Agasa shared a glance

"Well we haven't even told him about this yet" she motioned toward the room where Conan was sleeping "but we received a box in the mail yesterday which contained a bottle of aged Sherry. We believe it's a message from them. If it is then we don't have much time to prepare for whatever action we will be taking. I'm not even sure action is our best option…" she left the implication open to Heiji's interpretation

"We can't just hide. Kudo has a life and if beating them is the only way to get it back then he's going to do it and you know it" Haibara reluctantly acknowledged his logic

"Regardless, we will need Kudo-kun in his real body" Heiji nodded as Haibara turned away to face the room Conan was currently sleeping in "We just have to hope he gets through this"


	8. Lunchtime

Yukiko took a few deep breaths and tried her best to stay calm. She used her underrated intellect to analyze the situation and formulate a plan as best she could. Looking around the room she noticed all the furniture was absent. Even the smallest traces of cover we gone, most likely in an attempt to prevent the shooter's view from being obscured. She continued to scan the area, taking note of the camera in the bathroom which she had a good view of because the bathroom door had been left open. Whether this was on accident or on purpose she was not sure, but she was sure that there were other cameras in the room. Any attempt to work secretly at escaping would be futile and costly. 'If I'm going to make it out of here alive I'll have to appeal to her better nature'. She reached slowly for the phone. She knew that despite her adversary's strong talk she wouldn't take any unnecessary shots. If the weapon she was boasting was as high caliber as she said it would draw immediate attention. She only had one shot before she would be forced to abandon her position. Keeping this in mind Yukiko picked up the phone and dialed the number of the last person to message her.

For Vermouth, the conditions as far as sharp shooting went were certainly not ideal. For starters, it was night time which gave her almost zero visibility without the night vision scope she had attached to her rifle, even despite the light that was on in the room she was targeting which was rather dim. In addition, New York was a cold and windy city which meant her aim was not going to be right on the mark. Not to mention the distance between her target and herself, this was not a situation where she wanted to shoot. Her orders had been to subdue Kudo Yukiko and await further orders; orders which she was hoping were less violent than usual

"Well" she said aloud to herself "She's not going anywhere, so now what?" as she reached for her phone to contact Boss she was startled by a vibration on the table beside her. She picked up the phone and checked the number, hoping it was restricted, which would mean it was Boss, but it was instead Kudo Yukiko. She was transfixed by the phone for a moment before putting her intimidating mask back on and answering it

"Did I tell you to pick up the phone?" she said in a cold tone

"No, but I thought since I was sitting here in this empty room and you were watching me anyway that I'd say 'hi'. Despite all that's happened I-"

"You think this is a game? You think I won't put a bullet through that pretty little head of yours? I suggest you hang the phone and sit quietly as I instructed" Yukiko giggled on the other end of the line

"You're really funny when you're angry. Maybe you should have some tea? It would calm you down" Vermouth stared blankly at the phone. 'What is wrong with this woman? Does she not fear death at all? It's as if we're just playing tag, does she really not realize the situation she's in?'

"Listen to me" her voice was frustrated, almost reprimanding "put the phone down and sit quietly. Do not dial this number again unless you have to use the bathroom" she hung up the phone quickly to deter any further attempts at conversation. She looked at the florescent screen which was especially bright in her room, which was pitch black aside from the small t.v screen which displayed the feed from the cameras she had placed. She dialed an eerily familiar number and waited for an answer

"What is it?" a dark voice asked

"I have the target what are my orders?"

"I'm not the one you should be asking" his voice retained its devilish air despite the hint of sarcasm

"Gin you know damn well I can't just call him" she didn't try to hide her irritation

"Don't be short with me. I don't need another reason to take the life out of you" there was no evidence of sarcasm or satire in his statement which she realized very quickly. In order to undermine his power she scoffed wildly into the phone

"You act as if you frighten me" Gin had been known for having a short temper and this applied specifically to Vermouth. He didn't like her and she knew it so she did everything in her power to push him, knowing full well that she had Boss to support her.

"Boss won't be able to protect you forever you tempestuous harlot and when he's no longer there I will be" she was seemingly unaffected by the threat despite the absolute truth that it was laced with

"When that day comes Gin you won't have to look too far to find me. All this is beside the point, however, I want to know what the next phase of my assignment is" Gin chuckled to himself on the other line before inhaling a puff from his cigarette and blowing it into the phone speaker

"For now, keep her there. It seems the husband is on the move. We will wait and see what develops of this. You will be contacted with your next order." And he hung up, leaving Vermouth to reflect on their conversation. No matter how well she hid her fear it was still present and prominent in her thoughts. Gin was a very dangerous man who had a knack for killing the people he didn't prefer. And she was definitely someone he didn't prefer. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say that he hated her with all of his being. And she wasn't been in the good graces of Boss that she once was. The chance Gin had been aching for was becoming more and more tangible and it frightened her to her core. She shook her head and focused back on her mission. When her eye returned to her scope she panicked when she saw no trace of her target.

"That bitch!" she screamed aloud, surveying the room frantically for any sign of Yukiko. She let out a huge breath of relief when the middle aged actress came out of the bathroom and took a seat against the wall where she had been before. Vermouth, still rather livid about the lack of notification swiped her phone off of the table and dialed Yukiko's number

Yukiko felt refreshed after splashing some cool water on her face. She walked back to her spot on the wall and sat down. Despite the circumstances she really wasn't that uncomfortable. Somehow she had faith that the situation was more complicated than it looked and that her friend hadn't contacted her merely to kill her. As she reflected she heard the phone beside her ring, and she checked the caller I.D and answered it when she saw it was Sharon

"Hi Sharon?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you want to die? I told you not to move unless I told you to!" Yukiko ignored the fury in her voice and answered calmly

"Well, I noticed the camera's you installed in the bathroom so I assumed you would know that I went even without me telling you. Did you not see me on the cameras?" Yukiko was putting her years of marriage to a detective and mystery author to work, trying to iron out as many details about her situation as possible.

"I was preoccupied momentarily but I assure you if you make a stupid decision like that again I will not hesitate to fire, understood?" Sharon was starting to sound more like a murderer and less like a kidnapper

"Hai" she replied dejectedly and Yukiko dared to hang up. The lack of empathy in her friend's voice was beginning to worry her. Even though she was pointing a gun at her from 800 yards away she was still her friend. As she stared at the phone in her hand. She wanted so badly to call her back and ask why she was doing this but for fear of her life she instead set the phone down and stared out the window blankly. She tried to find something to divert her focus but found nothing. The sky was dark which left very little for the eye to see aside from the cars, street lamps, traffics lights and the occasional airplane. All of these things were so commonplace they failed to hold her attention, so she simply closed her eyes and tried to imagine a more desirable place to be which wasn't too difficult

Vermouth was visibly worried by the last point the actress had made. 'Why didn't I see her in the cameras? I've had my eye on them the whole time, I didn't just miss her….' The idea of an equipment malfunction annoyed her, but it wasn't the end of the world. She glanced over at the screen display which was dark for the most part. The mission still had potential for success as long as Yukiko didn't get wise to the fact that her equipment was failing. As long as she was lined up in the sights of her sniper rifle, the mission was still going well.

After ten minutes and four unanswered phone calls Kudo Yuusaku was beyond worried. The best word to describe his countenance as he drove through New York City would be hysterical. She had been secretive about her whereabouts the last two days and now she wasn't answering his calls. Being so close knit with the local law enforcement had given him a plethora of resources all of which he was choosing to ignore at the moment. In his mind he thought if there was the slightest chance his wife was dealing in narcotics or some sort of nonviolent illegal activity that he wanted to find her first. This thought, while perturbing, wasn't the worst turn of events he could think of. He had never ignored the fact that his wife was a very famous actress and that she had hoards of fans and even some followers that were downright obsessed with her. The possibility of her being attacked or even kidnapped by someone like this was not out of the question. He chose to choke down those thoughts and focused on tracking her down. Luckily he had installed a homing mechanism in both of their cars for safety in case either one of them ended up in a dangerous situation. He glanced back at his GPS which directed him toward the location of his wife's vehicle. He was only a few miles away now and he was anxious to verify her safety.

A few miles behind him, a black Porsche 356A was mirroring his movements. The ominous vehicle that, to those familiar the Black Organization, was a beacon of terror and ensuing bloodshed had been tracking the vehicle of Yuusaku since it left his house. Inside of it were the illustrious agents whose minimal contact with Kudo Shinichi had virtually ruined his life. The man in the passenger seat was a tall figure with long silver hair and a trademark cigarette stuck between his lips. The man driving was stocky and darker skinned, clad in a black hat and dark sunglasses, despite the time of day. They had been deployed to assure no one interfered with the matter Vermouth was currently attending to. They were fairly sure the police would not be a factor, however, the target's husband was known for possessing uncanny intelligence and deductive abilities, much like his son.

"So Gin, what do we do if this guy actually gets it in his head to go looking for his wife?" Vodka asked with a sly smirk, already aware of the answer

"Well, if he gets in the way, we'll kill him just like we kill anyone else that gets in our way" Gin grinned devilishly and inhaled a large amount of smoke, only to release it out the window of the car "And judging by the direction he's heading we might have to do just that" he looked over to Vodka who shared in his sentiment as the Sherriton came into view.

"It looks like she's at that hotel" Yuusaku said to himself, confirming his suspicions with a quick glance at the GPS. He pulled the car into the parking lot and parked it. He pushed his door open and exited the vehicle, noticing quickly that the lot was close to empty. He scoured the area until he came upon the item he was searching for: Yukiko's car. He had the plates memorized so it only took a few seconds for him to confirm it was hers. He stared at the car gravely and after a long expanse of time spent in that spot, he walked briskly toward the main entrance of the hotel and entered. The transparent doors parted automatically and he quickly began noting the layout of the room and how desolate it was. 'No hotel in New York City should ever be this empty' he thought as he approached the front desk. He rang the bell, which was the only item present on the surface, and awaited the reply of an employee. There was no one to be found, even after another ring of the bell. He was unnerved by this but he was a patient man and decided to wait and see if anyone appeared. After nearly three minutes he started to ring the bell furiously and call out for service

"Hello?" he said authoritatively "Hello?" He raised his voice ever so slightly

"My apologies" a young woman appeared, opening the door that led behind the desk "there was a mix-up with some of the other staff" her face was cross and angry looking

"Its no problem. Listen I'm looking for someone, have you seen this woman? You may recognize her-"

"That's Kudo Yukiko isn't it?" the woman said in an elated voice as she swiped the wallet sized photo from Yuusaku's hand

"Yes it is. Do you know what room she is in?" the woman look through a binder behind the desk

"I'm sorry, she's not checked in here." Yuusaku looked at the woman suspiciously but decided it was best to investigate without drawing too much attention to himself. Her unwillingness to divulge the location of his wife, whom he knew to be in the building, was a clear indicator that she may be a threat.

"Thank you for your help" he feigned a smile and turned around to the leave the lobby when two shadowy figures walked by him. For a moment time stood still as he brushed the shoulder of a tall man in a black trench coat. The man was followed by a trail of smoke which left a thin cloud behind him. The man beside him was shorter and portly but still equally conspicuous and clad in all black as well. As he passed them and walked through the doorway of the hotel he took a sharp turn to the right. He proceeded to walk the perimeter of the building, inspecting it for illuminated rooms and alternative means of entrance. Halfway along the west side of the building he noticed a single window shining. He stopped in his tracks and stared up at it, trying to make out a figure in it. He backed up a significant distance into the parking lot in order to see more of the interior of the room. He quickly realized that not only were the curtains gone, but the furniture as well. In fact, the room was completely empty from what he could see. There was no evidence of any aesthetic damage to the room which further raised the question 'why was the room empty and why was the light on?'. He resolved to investigate and he quickly scanned the remainder of the wall for a door, which he found. It was a door that led out of the pool area. The pool area was guarded off by an eight foot fence which Yuusaku easily traversed. He looked down at the door and sighed as he pulled on the handle, but to no avail. He pressed his head against the glass door and ran his hand along the metal hinges. "Now what?" he asked himself with a degree of despair until he felt a small budge under which fingers which brought a grin to his face.

Back at the front desk, the two shadowy figures were now face to face with the young female attendant

"Hello good sirs how may I help you?" she said in the cheeriest voice she could produce. The two darkly clothed men just stared at her, making no sound or movement. "You were never one for jokes, were you Gin?" he continued to stare at her, communicating no level of amusement

"Where is Korn?" he asked coldly

"He's already on the roof, in position. I still don't understand why we're here. I mean really, I know this is a high level mission but do we really need five operatives?" Gin took a step forward and slapped her across the face

"Don't be foolish Chianti, we're not just here for the Kudo's. We're here in case Vermouth gets it in her head to abandon the mission." Chianti rubbed her cheek for a second before regaining her composure and nodded in agreement.

"Now, go up to the roof and assist Korn. We're going to monitor the husband. We don't want him interfering" Chianti chose not to nod back but instead glared at Gin scornfully and walked away. Gin motioned toward the door and together he and Vodka exited the building, Vodka going right and Gin going left. Vodka chuckled slightly to himself as they separated 'One of these days one of those women is going to put a bullet in your chest'.

"That lunch was great!" Kazuha cheered, earning a nod from each of her friends

"Yes it was! And the food was okay too!" Sonoko chanted as Ran blushed and screamed denial, which only further encouraged her friends to prod her about the highlight of their meal

"So Ran…" Kazuha started but trailed off as she gave Sonoko a mischievous look

"When's the wedding!" She and Sonoko screamed in unison. Ran's face only darkened into a deeper crimson hue as the two teenagers giggled viciously

"Thanks for lunch" Sato said, patting her partner on the back roughly

"Oh *fake laugh* it was nothing" Sato looked over at him before they entered the elevator and observed that he looked upset. He had been that way since they left the office for lunch

"Takagi-kun, what is it? You seem…preoccupied" Takagi darted his eyes away, seemingly panicked by her query

"Oh its nothing, really I'm fine" he manufactured a smile but Sato was not convinced

"Takagi…" she paused momentarily and gave him a debilitating puppy dog look "is it that you don't want to tell me?" Takagi was backed into a corner, literally. The elevator doors were closed and he had nowhere to go. He made the serious mistake of allowing her to take a hold of him, placing a hand firmly on each cheek and forcing their eyes to meet. He was Jello when she looked at him like that and she knew it. Just as he opened his mouth to speak the elevator doors slid open and Takagi tasted freedom. He jumped past Sato and waved back to her

"I'll tell you about it later Sato-san!" she grimaced as she watched him leave. She wasn't so much angry as she was concerned. The idea of something Takagi felt that uncomfortable discussing with her was nerve-racking. Even after she entered her office and began to sort through files she still couldn't abandon the thought. She decided to push it to the back of her mind 'after all' she thought with a subtle grin 'once out shift is over, I'll find out for sure'.

Takagi was sharing in his parter's lack of concentration. 'It's ironic, she was wanted to know what I was upset about and I didn't want to tell, and yet the reason I am upset is because she didn't want to tell me why she was upset...' he shrugged and buried his head in his work, resolving that he would address that issue after work.


	9. Opening the Door

*Conan's Perspective*

I awoke to find an I.V in my arm a few faint bruises on my wrist. I recollected Hattori having to hold me down so Haibara could inject the sedative into my arm. I tried to lift myself into an upright position but my entire body was cripplingly sore. I fell back into the bed and stared at the ceiling. I was enjoying the alleviation of the pain that had almost brought to tears a short time earlier. I looked at the clock beside my bed and realized only an hour had passed since I was put out. I looked around the room and noticed a chair that had been pulled up toward the bedside. I wonder who was sitting here. Hattori maybe, or even Haibara. No, they aren't those types of people, I guess it was Agasa then. I decided it would be best to walk around a bit(I had never been one for sitting around). I gritted my teeth and hopped out of the bed, thinking that moving in one swift motion would hurt, but I was wrong.

*End Conan's Perspective*

"What was that?" Heiji asked with an air of concern. Haibara and Agasa turned to one another fearfully

"You don't think…" Agasa trailed off, realizing after a moment that she had the same thought in mind. The two leapt out of their seats and raced toward the room where Conan was resting. I took a moment for Heiji's mind to catch up with the situation, but when it did he followed closely behind the two scientists. Agasa through open the door and found exactly what he had feared; Conan lying face down on the floor beside the bed. He quickly flipped him of his back, minding the I.V still in his arm, and lifted him back onto the bed. Conan's eyes squinted open as the Professor pulled the blankets back up to the child detective's chin

"What the hell do you think you're doing Kudo?" Heiji screamed, seemingly infuriated by the detective's lack of regard for his own safety

"Sorry guys I-" he paused mid sentence and winced in pain, holding his abdomen "didn't think my body this weak" Haibara shot him a condescending glare

"Shinichi you can't put any more pressure on your body. You're already under a tremendous amount of physical stress and its only going to get worse" Haibara and Heiji nodded in agreement with Agasa's notion

"I'm sorry, I understand. How much longer will this infection take to weaken my immune system enough so I can have the antidote?" He asked as he clutched his stomach again, squeezing his right eye shut in pain

"We can't be sure. You've already proven that your body can handle a lot of physical strain so it may take longer than expected" Conan grimaced at the thought of a slow, debilitating illness gradually weakening him. She squeezed his midsection tighter as he finally gave into the pain and bellowed out toward the ceiling. Heiji took a few steps toward him but was stopped by a small hand on his thigh

"Stop, Hattori-kun. This is exactly what I was hoping for; the disease is running its course. This might not take as long as I thought it would"

"Well, Mouri-kun it seems like we're all finished here" Megure stood up from behind his desk. Kogoro hesitated for a second before rising to meet him. Megure reached a hand out and Kogoro accepted the invitation, shaking his hands genially

"Thank you Megure-keibu. I will see you on Monday" They both grinned widely at the prospect

"Yes you will, have a pleasant weekend" he added with a presumptuous wink. Kogoro's throat went dry and he coughed nervously. He nodded and walked out of the office, quickly entering the elevator. Sato followed him with her eyes as he left, scrutinizing his every move

"Mouri-san" she muttered to herself spitefully, shaking her head in disapproval. Her covetous thoughts were cut off, however, when she noticed Takagi address Megure and then, with a nod, enter his office. Sato raised an eyebrow, confused by her partner's sudden need to speak to their Chief. They spoke for only a minute or so before emerging from Megure's office. Takagi went back to his desk and began to muddle through some paperwork when Megure knocked on the Sato's office door. Sato composed herself and answered the door

"Hai!" She said formally with a salute

"Sato-kun you're off for the rest of the weekend. I'll see you on Monday" he said with unwavering conviction, leaving no room for argument

"But what ab-"

"Your shift is covered. Now, go home and enjoy your weekend" He commanded as he exited the doorway. Sato stood puzzled in her office 'I'm an investigator; I can't just take a weekend off. And besides,' she said, looking over at Takagi 'what am I supposed to do all day?' She shook her head but decided that it was an order and she didn't have the authority to ignore. She packed up the papers she had been working on and walked out of her office, much to Takagi's surprise

"S-Sato-san where are you going? Do we have a case?" he asked

"No Takagi-kun, I've been given the weekend off so I'm going home…" she explained half-heartedly

"Oh…well have a good day then. I'll call you when I get off and maybe we could get dinner" Sato was taken back by his forwardness. Even though they had been 'dating' for a month he had been insanely shy when it came to asking her out on dates. He even stuttered at the word 'date' which greatly amused her. Sometimes she would force the word out of him because it was funny to watch him struggle with saying it and because she liked hearing it.

"You mean like a date?" Sato asked with a raised eyebrow and an adorable grin, which made Takagi squirm

"Uh well I…uh what I mean is I- its just that…yes" he planted his eyes on the ground beneath him, blushing and embarrassed not only by the topic but by the way he had handled it

"Then I accept!" Sato said cheerfully, relieving any worries he may have had. He shot his head up to look at her and was surprised to find that she had bent over and brought her face within inches of his. His pupils dilated and his mind went blank as she gently pecked his cheek. She pulled away and gave him time to process what had happened before she started to walk away with a wave "Call me later!" and with that last request she entered the elevator. There were two things she enjoyed in the world, busting criminals and seeing her boyfriend embarrassed. She giggled to herself as the elevator doors closed in front of her. She could just imagine how the rest of the officers were staring daggers at Takagi. She decided she would apologize for it when they saw each other later that night, even though he wouldn't accept it.

Meanwhile, back in the homicide precinct, Takagi was sweating furiously under the gazes of his fellow officers. Shiratori had been the only one to witness the little exchange between his beloved Sato and Takagi, but he wasted no time informing all of the jealous male officers about it. Despite the fear for his life, Takagi couldn't help but smile at how things had worked out. He chuckled to himself heartily 'worth it, completely worth it'.

As Vodka rounded the corner of the hotel he heard a distant clang on the cement. He ran toward it and when he reached the fence that divided the outside of the hotel from the pool, he saw a glass door, still in tact, but lying uselessly on the ground. He hurriedly climbed over the fence, struggling momentarily as he attempted to swing his thick legs over the fence. Once he was over it, he analyzed the ground and found the means by which the door had been detached

As Gin rounded the left corner of the hotel and began to scan the area in front of him he was upset by the lack of activity. He had hoped to find Yuusaku breaking in so he would have a reason to end him. However, aside from one or two cars part on that side of the building, there was absolutely nothing. As he continued forward he was surprised when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He reached for it and found the caller to be his partner

"What is it Vodka?" he asked, curious as to what his partner could have found already

"One of the doors in the back of the building has been detached from the wall. I think Kudo Yuusaku is already in the building." Gin smirked devilishly at the phone

"Wait there, I'm coming" and he hung up. This gave Vodka a moment to contemplate the strange sight before. The door was lying flat outside of the building. 'You would think' he thought to himself 'that he would have pushed the door down, but because of its position it seems he pulled it out.' He walked around to the side of the door 'and how was he able to get these hinges out? Most doors are built with the hinges inside.' He grabbed his chin, trying his best to understand the strange conditions for their target's entry when Gin approached him

"Relax Vodka, how he got in is not our concern." Vodka swung around in surprise, having not even heard him walk up

"G-Gin! But how did you know th-"

"You were staring at the door. We need to make sure he doesn't get back out. Let's go" he said with authority. Vodka complied and followed him into the building

As Yuusaku traipsed the halls of the hotel in search of a stairwell he patted the suit top he was wearing. He felt a bulge in his chest pocket and returned all of his focus to his current objective. When he reached the end of the corridor he was relieved to find the main stairwell that led all the way to the 35th floor. He closed the door behind him and raced up the stairs trying his best to maintain speed while remaining stealthy. He noted every floor number as he ascended, enacting a mental countdown for himself. 'twelve floors left…eleven floors left…ten floors left…' he pressed on, determined to reach Yukiko as soon as possible. He was more worried about her well-being now than he had been before. 'The woman at the front desk' he contemplated 'and those two men that followed me here. This is all too suspicious. I just need to get Yukiko and get away'. He picked up his speed, almost surprised by the fact that he was able to do so 'six floors…five floors…four floors…' he started to gasp, feeling his age 'three floors…two floors…last floor' his knees ached and his brow was beaded with sweat as he fell against a steel door that read '14th Floor'. He took a deep breath and collected himself as he opened the door. He kept a steady pace as he walked down the hall, scanning the cracks between the doors and the ground for streams of light. He past room 1405, then 1406 and 1407 after that, all of which were dark. Then he came to room 1408 and stopped cold in his tracks. The lights were on, but was it foolish of him to enter so directly? If she really was in trouble would he be able to save her by just barging in? He held his chin, piecing together all of the details of his situation until he heard the loud ping of the elevator as it signaled its ascension. His face was grave as the illuminated arrow above the elevator began to move right, passing one, two, three, four. His breath caught at the thought which for the time being was the most terrifying idea in the world. Those men, they had followed him. What did they want? What were their motives? How dangerous were they? As the ticker on the elevator passed six he realized he had no time to think, he had to act. In a rash decision he swung open the fortunately unlocked door adjacent to him and leapt into the room. When he turned around he experienced a degree of relief as is eyes fell on his wife who was unharmed. This relief, however, was short lived

As Kogoro walked in the door of the Detective Agency, it hadn't occurred to him that his wife would still be there. It also hadn't occurred to him that she would have lunch waiting for him or that it would actually smell edible. He allowed the aroma to permeate his nostrils as he approached the kitchen. When he finally entered, he was flattered at the sight of his wife, who was sweating with an apron on. She was hard at work, cutting various vegetables and tossing them into a pot of boiling water. He couldn't help but admire the effort she was putting into something that she wasn't very good at just for him. He coughed obnoxiously in an effort to get her attention, causing her to spin around abruptly

"What are you doing?" he asked obliviously. Eri looked at him confused

"Well I know you never step foot in a kitchen but this is what most people call cooking" she spat out sarcastically

"Well I've never really seen you cook before. At least nothing edible" he grumbled in an attempt to annoy his wife

"I can leave if you want!" She scolded, taking a wooden spoon in her hand. Apparently he had succeeded

"Calm down woman, you're always so irrational" he huffed as he exited the kitchen. Eri was fuming mad but decided it would be more efficient to put that energy into her cooking. As she sliced the remainder of her vegetables with significantly more force than she had before, Kogoro watched from his desk and grinned contently. He may have been happy she was there and her food may have smelled delicious, 'but there is no need to inflate her ego. She should be lucky I even let her in…' he thought grumpily as she placed a steaming hot meal in front of him and watched expectantly. He rolled his eyes and took a bite, giving her the satisfaction she desired simply by remaining silent and taking another bite.


	10. Perfection?

"What the-" Vermouth almost yelled aloud as a second figure came into her line of vision. She focused hard on the intruder that had so hastily burst through the hotel room door. After a few seconds of careful observation she identified precisely who it was: Kudo Yuusaku, her target's husband. She recognized him relatively quickly due to her extensive history with Yukiko. She curved her eyebrows angrily "What the hell is he doing here?" Her question was soon answered when he motioned for his wife to come over to him at the door.

* * *

The feeling of relief that had washed over him at the sight of his still intact wife was quickly brushed away when she turned around and looked at him. As their eyes locked a tear shot down Yukiko's face and Yuusaku was frozen in his place. He waved an arm at her, trying to get her to come over to him, but she simply looked away somberly and placed her focus back on the window in front of her. Perturbed by her countenance he rushed over to her side and knelt beside her

"What is it? Why are you here? What's going on?" His questions were mashed together and uncouthly blurted out, a vast contrast to his usual demeanor. She opened her mouth to answer when the phone beside her began to ring. She exhaled deeply and picked it up

"Yes" She said with little energy, obviously drained from the whole debacle

"What the hell is he doing there? Tell him to get out before I kill you both!" Her voice was brash and unhinged. She seemed to be losing her patience quickly. Yukiko waited a moment before answering

"And what if I said 'no'?" Her mouth curved into a subtle grin

"Do you want me to kill you!" What little patience she had seemed to have had vanished with that deriding question. Once again Yukiko let silence overtake the line momentarily before finally hanging up the phone.

Yussaku was terrified by his wife's attitude. She seemed exhausted, almost sickly. She could hardly lift her arm to answer the phone and every phrase she spat out seemed to ware her out. Her breathing was strangely calm, almost like she was already asleep or even comatose. As he analyzed his wife the thought returned to the back of his mind once again 'Those men, they might still be coming. If they are they'll check this room first because of the light'. At that point it became very clear what he had to do, and in a flash he rose from the floor and went to the light switch. Yukiko raised a hand to object but before she could it was already pitch black. Yuusaku raced back to his wife and grabbed her by the wrist. She yelped at the firmness of his hold but said nothing. He cracked the door open and checked each side of the hallway for signs of life. When he found no movement he carefully walked out of the room, leading his wife out in the process. He darted his eyes back and forth again, as if he was crossing a freeway in rush hour and pulled his wife down the hall. They continued down the hall until he found what he was looking for: the stairwell. Luckily for him this hotel had a stairwell on each side of the building for fire safety purposes. He felt the burning of hope in his chest as the steel door that would lead to their escape came closer and closer. Another twenty seconds and they were there. As his touched the cold handle on the door he felt a large force against the back of his neck and then everything went black

* * *

As Gin and Vodka exited the elevator they displayed no evidence of worry or urgency. They started to walk forward when the heard the subtle creak of a door as it opened. Gin curled the sides of his mouth into a menacing grin. Vodka took a step forward but was brusquely stopped by Gin's hand on his chest. Vodka knew what this meant and took a step backward, allowing his partner plenty of room. Gin took a few large strides forward, clinging to the wall as not to be seen. He focused his eyes and was pleased to see, a mere thirty feet in front of him, a man and a woman hand in hand walking hurriedly toward what he could only assume was another stairwell. He picked up his feet and sped to an almost jog in order to catch up to them. As he gained ground on them he could see a large steel door coming into view. Once he was about five feet away he leveled out his pace and stalked behind them. When they finally reached the door the man in front of him paused for a moment. The time was as good as any Gin thought, so he pulled his pistol from the front of his trench coat and swung it at the back of his target's neck. The woman jumped at the sight and turned around feverishly to address the attacker only to be smothered by a moist rag. She fell to the ground after a moment or two of struggling, leaving Gin alone to observe the two unconscious bodies.

"Gin…." a voice said from behind him. He turned around calmly, having already recognized the speaker

"What took you so long?" he asked coldly

"Sorry-" Vodka started, breathing somewhat heavily "When you get like that its hard to keep up with you." He took one last breath and composed himself "What do we do now?" he asked, genuinely curious about what the next phase of their operation was

"We do what _that person _ordered us to do. We take this woman back to that room force Vermouth to finish her. It's a test of her loyalty" Vodka confirmed his comprehension with a nod

"What about him?" Gin looked down at the motionless body at his feet

"We weren't given any specific orders about him. We'll put him in the room as well. When the room blows, he'll go with it" Vodka seemed startled by the explanation

"B-Blows? We're wasting the room?" Gin glanced over at him and grinned devilishly

"That's right. Can't leave evidence. Now come on, we need to move them" Vodka nodded and lifted the actress over his shoulder. Gin bent down in front of Yuusaku, facing away from him. He grabbed each of his wrists and pulled them over his shoulders to his chest and rose to his feet.

* * *

'What the hell am I going to do now!' Vermouth thought angrily to herself 'They just walked right out from under me. Damn that bastard Yuusaku, how did he know the scope I had would take a few seconds to readjust to the darkness?' Vermouth had been lying on the floor next to the bed since the moment her target fled. The hopelessness of the situation had actually weighed her down to the point where she had no will or ability to move. She just laid there and stared blankly at the darkness above her. 'What happens now? Should I just leave and cover my tracks? Live in hiding? If I go back to _them_ after such a failure I'll be killed for sure…' she was jarred from her pessimistic trance when the resounding buzz of her phone flooded the room. She flew up off the ground and seized her phone from the nightstand. Before looking at the caller I.D she opened it and pushed it to her ear

"Yes?" she asked coolly, trying to maintain what little composure she still possessed.

"Vermouth" her codename came back through the line with a cruel air to it. The voice was unmistakable and it sent a shiver down her spine

"What is it Gin?" She asked rudely, somehow retaining her unruly demeanor despite the situation

"I have your orders." He responded officially. Vermouth remained silent and waited for him to finish his statement. As she waited anxiously she noticed a light shine in the distance, hardly visible to the untrained eye. She felt her heart jump as she rushed over to the rifle that was still resting on the bed and checked her scope. The room she had been monitoring was illuminated again but now there were four people in it. Two were unconscious and leaning against the wall. The other two were standing upright and staring directly at her, one of which was holding a phone to his ear "Your orders are to finish off Kudo Yukiko. You have five minutes" His tone was straight and unwavering. She made no audible response initially as she continued to stare at the black clad man with the phone. He grinned and closed the phone, shoving it back into his pocket. He turned away from her and exited the room, followed closely by his confidant.

* * *

Once the door had closed behind him, Gin pulled the phone back out from his pocket and flipped it open. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear

"Yeah?" Chianti answered apathetically

"Everything is ready. If she doesn't fire in five minutes…" he trailed off and allowed assumption to speak for itself

"Right." She responded and hung up the phone. Gin looked over to his partner and motioned for him to reveal the object in his chest pocket. He hesitated for a second before he pulled it out and handed to Gin. It was a small black box with two switches on the front of it and a green and a red light on the top. The red light was currently illuminated as Gin ran his finger over the switches, smirking at his own intentions.

* * *

As Sonoko, Ran and Kazuha exited the store they had been in Sonoko was beaming and jumping with four bags hanging off each of her arms. Ran had one smaller bag in her hand and Kazuha was empty handed. They were walking down the street when Sonoko pointed to another store causing Ran and Kazuha to heave a unified sigh.

"What, are you two already done shopping? We haven't even been at it for twenty minutes!" Sonoko screamed candidly, disappointed by their lack of enthusiasm

"Well I was never much for shopping" Ran said plainly

"Yeah and I don't really need anything right now" Kazuha added to further their argument. Sonoko looked back at them confusedly

"Well if you don't want to shop what should we do?" She asked, genuinely unaware of any other use of time. The three girls stood silently, trying to produce a formidable idea

"Well…."Ran said shyly "I was supposed to go and clean Shinichi's house today…." Her two friends gave her a curious look

"Are you serious? Ran that's ridiculous why would you clean his house?" Kazuha asked, dumbfounded by the idea of helping her 'boyfriend' for no particular reason

"Relax Kazuha-chan she's been doing this since that guy left. Every few weeks she decides its time to clean his house again, as if he's ever in it" Sonoko said rolling her eyes

"Sonoko!" Ran yelled angrily

"Sorry I know its your husband's house and all but do you really need to clean it for him?" Sonoko teased

"I just don't want it to get dusty. It's a beautiful house and I hate to see it dirty. Besides, he's coming back on Monday so…" Sonoko and Kazuha giggled furiously, pressing their hands to their faces to hide it

"So you want to surprise him with a clean house for his arrival!" Kazuha chanted

"No!"

"Don't lie Ran I can see it all over your face. Don't worry, we'll help you clean your boyfriend's house" Sonoko teased once again, goading a fiery blush out of Ran. Ran didn't object however, and instead just accepted the enlisted help of her friends

* * *

"So how long do you expect this to go on?" Heiji asked, still unnerved by the sight of his friend suffering to such an extent. Haibara glanced over at him. They hadn't spoken since they left Conan's room, so the atmosphere had been slightly tense

"I can't say. It could be anywhere from four hours to three days. It all depends on his body" she answered him expressing little concern

"Is there anything we can do as far as _they're_ concerned while he's like that?" Heiji had never been one to wait around for things to happen. He had always considered himself a man of action, so the waiting had been killing him even if it had only been an hour or two.

"Listen to me Hattori-kun, these people aren't just a bunch of murderers. Their crimes aren't like others where you can simply use your deductive reasoning to bring them to justice. They have been able to beat every international law enforcement agency for years." Heiji winced at the realization of their power

"You said you know where their hideouts are didn't you?" Haibara shook her head

"I said I know where they were when I was a member. It's been months since I left, they probably have an entirely new network of hideouts." Heiji puts his hands behind his head and sighed

"So what do we have to go on?" he asked, having had most of his zeal deflated

"Virtually nothing. That's part of what makes this so difficult" she stated definitively and turned away from him, walking toward the laboratory

"So what are we supposed to do?" he asked helplessly. She stopped on the stairs and turned to him

"We wait for Kudo-kun. Then, we formulate a plan. That's all we can do for now" she turned away and disappeared from his sight. He remained there after she left, contemplating her words. 'How am I supposed to just wait here and do nothing until that Aho wakes up?' he grunted to himself angrily and walked back into Conan's room where he was sleeping sounding

"Hurry up, Kudo" he whispered to the child detective

* * *

As Yuusaku blinked his eyes open he felt a horrendous pain on the back of his neck. He recollected the preceding events and remembered being struck from behind. 'Those men' he thought to himself 'I'm a fool. I should have known they would follow us. How was I so blind' his self-critical thoughts were interrupted when he realized there was a head leaning on his shoulder. He looked over and saw it was Yukiko, and she was still unconscious. He gently shook her body to wake her, but to no avail. He grasped both of her shoulders firmly and shook her body furiously, this time rendering a response. She jumped at the force that was moving her body but calmed when she realized it was her husband. She blinked a few times to confirm her consciousness and then met Yuusaku's eyes again

"Where are we? What happened?" she asked innocently

"We were ambushed. And it seems we're back in that same room you were in when I found you." They both scanned the room and verified the suspicion

"What do we do?" she asked

"First, I need to know why you were here. It seems the situation is more dangerous than I realized" Yukiko darted her eyes away from him, ashamed for being secretive before

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything before. The truth is, Sharon called me yesterday and asked if I would have dinner with her" Yuusaku drew back for a moment, shocked by the name

"You mean Sharon Vineyard?" Yukiko nodded shakily "But she's…"

"Dead? I thought so too. I thought the person might be a crazed fan and I wanted to confront them. But when I got there it was really her, in the flesh. She told me how her death was faked and how she kept her identity secret for her safety" Yuusaku listened carefully and processed the information as he recieved it

"What does that have to do with….this?" he asked, locking his eyes with her more intently

"Well after dinner she said she wanted me to meet her here tonight. When I got here the room was like this and I got call from her that said she had a sniper rifle and that she would shoot me if I didn't do everything she said" She started to tear up, having reached the horrifying present, and Yuusaku pulled her into an embrace

"It's okay honey we'll get out of here. When was the last time she contacted you?" Yukiko sniffled and looked down to think

"I think it was just a few minutes before you came" Yuusaku became entranced in thought as he attempted to formulate a plan based on the existing variables. Yukiko continued to lean on his torso, trying to contract any possible feeling of safety she could. Yuusaku's train of thought was broken when he noticed something disturbing

"Yukiko your wrists and ankles are tied!" he exclaimed, shocked by the discovery

"I didn't notice until just now either when i tried to hold you. But yours aren't" she said almost happily. He looked down at his own free wrists and scrutinized them carefully

"I've seen this." He said ominously

"What do you mean?" her tone was becoming increasingly uneasy as time went on

"Some criminals will tie up one victim and leave the other untied in order to allow the other to leave. It usually means that they only want to kill their target and that they are willing to spare collateral damage" his voice was grave as he said this with his eyes on his knees.

"So that means…" she trailed off, unwilling to utter the answer herself

"It means you're their target, and they want me leave you"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a hotel rooms hundreds of yards away, Vermouth had a shaking finger on the trigger of her rifle. Her vision was obscured by the sudden onset of tears as she stared down her scope at the middle aged woman she had once called her friend.

"I'm so sorry" she mumbled to herself as she squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger with a gasp. A resounding blast could be heard throughout the area as the shell exited the barrel of her gun, traveled through the pane of glass in front of her, sped through the space between the two buildings and penetrated the adjacent pane of glass. Before either Kudo could turn to address the noise the bullet had already hit its target. But the conditions were wrong. Her eyes were so hazy and her hands were shaking; to make a perfect shot from so far away with all those contributing factors would be impossible...

**A reader requested that i split the sub plot cut offs with lines to make reading less confusing, so there you are. I'm not usually one for ridiculous cliffhangers but this time, i couldn't resist. Think about it like this, i'm being true to Gosho's stpry design because you KNOW he would have used a cliffhanger like that just to piss everyone off. Don't be too mad though, I try to post every day so i won't leave you hanging for too long. Thanks for reading have a pleasant tomorrow**


	11. A Husband, a Friend and a Murderer

*CRACK*

That was the last sound to course through Kudo Yuusaku's ears as the shell from a high caliber sniper rifle exited his wife's body. Her eyes were wide as the pain of the wound dawned on her. They both looked down at her midsection with fearful gazes as the blood spilled out of her. The bullet's trajectory had been thrown off just slightly, enough to redirect the point of impact to the left side of her ribcage. Yukiko's hands dug deep into her husbands back as the pain continued to intensify. Frozen in the moment, Yuusaku could only stare intently at his wife's face as she grimaced in agony.

"We need to get you to a hospital, we need to leave right now" Yuusaku declared with resolve. His determination was broken however when his face shook her head and placed a hand on his cheek

"Honey, look in the corner" her voice was fragile and her hand was shaky as she pointed into the corner of the room, where four 8" packages of C4 were neatly duct taped to the wall. In the heat of the situation they had both overlooked them. Yuusaku's heart sank as it dawned on him what Yukiko was suggesting

"No! No, you can't stay here, I'll carry you out, we can make it if we go right n-" his tangent was abruptly halted by a gentle hand pressed to his mouth. After he seemed to have lost his zeal she removed her hand and placed it on her open bullet wound. Yuusaku followed her hand carefully as she brought it back up between them so they could both observe it. Her message was received clearly as Yuusaku began to tear up, a sight that, if it hadn't been for the situation would have shocked her. Much like his son, Yuusaku wasn't a man that cried easily and in fact he wasn't much for emoting at all.

"It's okay, you go. One of us has to be there when Shin-chan marries Ran-chan." She pushed the words out forcefully, visibly straining to do so. Yuusaku tried to contain his tears but was slowly giving in as his wife went on "and when they have children, they need a sane grandparent. If we leave our grandchild with just Eri and Kogoro who knows what will happen" she smiled at him and he laughed out of loud as the tears finally broke through and began to soak his cheeks. Yukiko returned her hand to his cheek to comfort him, forgetting that there was still blood on it. Yuusaku didn't notice the blood at all and pressed her hand aggressively to his face. He couldn't help but realize that her hand was getting colder. Yukiko's eyes began to close as the hand pressed to her husband's cheek began to slip away. Yuusaku desperately held on to her hand as her body gracefully slid to the ground. He leaned forward and observed her as her eyes squinted, holding onto consciousness with all her might

"Yukiko…" he muttered helplessly as she smiled once again, trying her best to wipe away her husband's tears with the hand he was still holding onto. Her fingers were frail and tremulous but she still managed to wipe a few of the salty streams from his face. Her efforts were futile though for the damp trails were soon replaced by new ones. She brushed his face with her thumb slowly and mouthed a heartfelt 'I love you' as she slipped into unconsciousness. Yuusaku clutched her lingering hand with all of his might as her pinched his eyes shut and allowed any tears he had held back to burst forth. He could hardly breathe as he tenderly placed her hand on her stomach. His eyebrows curved angrily as he pictured the men that had apprehended them and Sharon who had killed her. His fist clenched and his knuckles were stained white. He gritted his teeth as he stood reluctantly and ran out the door, glancing at his wife for the last time as he swung the door open.

* * *

For the past few minutes Gin and Vodka had been sitting anxiously in their Porsche, monitoring their watches. It had been two minutes and Gin had his thumb resting on the two switches of the remote control box. When they heard the gun shot their heads swung around and they each pulled out a pair of binoculars that were stuffed in the glove box. They were surprised to see a flood of crimson liquid flowing out of the body of Kudo Yukiko. They observed silently as Yuusaku held her and spoke lividly at first. After a few seconds, however, his demeanor became somber. As Vodka continued to watch Gin lowered his binoculars and placed them in his lap. He stared forward and grinned with sickening satisfaction. Soon after Vodka lowered his binoculars as well and placed his binoculars back in the glove box. Gin looked to him and handed him the other binoculars which Vodka placed in the glove box as well. Gin looked down at his watch again

"Two minutes left, what will he do?" he asked himself sadistically as Vodka took a deep breath and turned his eyes toward his own window

* * *

Vermouth could not get her hands to stop trembling. Since the moment she had fired that shot at Yukiko her hands had been dancing with a mind of their own. She had somehow managed to pack up the rifle and exit the room she was in even despite her unsteady hands. But now she was flying down the stairs, trying to make a clean escape from the scene of her crime. As she ran she continually had to wipe her eyes to keep from running into the walls of the stairwell. When she reached the bottom she threw the door open and was thankful to see her car parked relatively close to the building. She sprinted to it, opened the door and through her gun bag in the passenger seat. She swung her body into the driver and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and allowed her forehead to fall onto the steering wheel with significant force. She continued to breathe deeply, trying her best to regain her composure. After twenty seconds of miserably failing she resolved to simply drive away. She needed to get away, to forget about what had just happened 'just like every other mission, just forget about it'. And yet she couldn't bring herself to leave. She remained stationary and simply sat with her head on the steering wheel and her eyes clasped shut.

* * *

When he reached the stairwell Yuusaku gave up on running and simply swung his body over the railing and jumped to the other side of the stairwell. He cotniued this process back and forth down the stairwell. For the second time that night his age became painfully evident to him. With every landing he could feel a surge of pain in each of his knees that he tried earnestly to ignore. Floor after floor passed by and after what seemed like an eternity he had reached the bottom floor. He opened the door which led back into the main lobby.

"Hello?" he screamed frantically. His call went unanswered for a few seconds until the young woman that had been working at the front desk when he entered the hotel poked her head out from behind the counter

"What is it sir?" she asked with an almost menacing smirk

* * *

As Ran, Sonoko and Kazuha approached Shinichi's mansion, Ran decided to pop in and see Agasa for a moment. Sonoko and Kazuha decided to go and start cleaning without her. So Ran approached the Professor's door alone and knocked. After not too long of a wait the door was answered by someone she hadn't expected to see

"Oi Agasa is b-" Heiji cut himself off his he realized who he was addressing "n-neechan!" he exclaimed, jumping back a few feet

"Hattori-kun what are you doing here?" she asked, genuinely confused by his presence

"Oh well I uh… you see its just I…had n-nothing else to do since Kazuha wanted to hand out with you alone. I don't know many people around here so I thought I would come see Agasa and that little girl". At this point he was sweating bullets and couldn't hardly look Ran in the eye

"Oh…well okay is Agasa here?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by his nervousness

"Oh actually I think he's asleep right now. So why are you here? Just to see the old man?" he raised an eyebrow as she blushed faintly

"Actually Sonoko and Kazuha are next door already but we're here to clean Shinichi's house. He's coming back on Monday so I wanted it to be clean for his return" she blushed throughout her explanation and darted her eyes away from Heiji when she was finished. Heiji saw this is as an invitation to taunt her a little

"Really, so that Kudo guy is comin' back. Well he'll stand no chance against my deductions with so many" he grinned presumptuously "distractions here". Ran understood his implication and did her best to shoot it down

"It's not like that!" She screamed furiously

"neechan' you'll hurt his feelings if you keep talking like that" he teased, causing her to turn around completely

"Okay well I guess if Agasa's asleep I'll just come by later bye!" she yelled hurriedly over her shoulder as she made her way to the house next door.

"Wait 'neechan!" Heiji yelled but failed to get her attention. As Ran rounded the corner and walked through Shinichi's gate, she got an evil idea. She smiled to herself happily as she skipped through the front door of her crush's house

"Oh Kazuha-chan!" she chanted merrily, hosting sadistic intentions in her words

* * *

"Crap!" Heiji roared as he slammed the door and walked back into Agasa's house. The shout was enough to get Haibara's attention from down in the lab. She came walking up the stairs, removing a rubber glove from each hand and placing the goggles she had been wearing onto her forehead.

"What is it Hattori-kun?" she asked, displaying little interest in her own question

"neechan', Sonoko and Kazuha are next door!" he screamed at her, earning somewhat of a concerned reaction

"They're what?" Haibara said raising her voice in confusion and frustration

"They're over there cleaning Kudo's house! What if they come over here? What if they see him?" Heiji battered the biochemist with questions that she couldn't answer immediately. After taking some time to think Haibara looked up at Heiji

"Hattori-kun, you're going to have to deter them. Any way you can, you have to keep them away from here" her tone was firm and maternal. Heiji nodded and walked toward the door. As he walked out he turned back and smiled

"Tell that guy to hurry up ne?" She nodded back to him and he closed the door behind him

* * *

"You need to get out of here, there's a bomb on the 14th floor of this building!" the woman grinned and reached for something in front of her. Yuusaku was flabbergasted when she revealed a pistol and pointed it at him

"I know, I put it there" she said coldly, giggling to herself. Yuusaku, who had already been through ten of the most tumultuous minutes of his life, was not ready for this. "Now" she said, drawing in his focus "Do you have any last words, Kudo Yuusaku?" she asked sarcastically, enjoying the situation. Yuusaku brought his right hand up carefully to his chest, searching without eyes for a certain item he had brought with him. When he found what he was looking for he quickly thrust his hand into his suit top and revealed a pistol of his own.

"No, I don't" he said definitively. She scoffed loudly at his dramatic declaration

"Oh my a magnum, that has to be an antique. I think I'll take it with me when I'm done with you" she brought her thumb to the back of her gun and cocked it. She smirked one last time as a blast echoed throughout the lobby.

* * *

"Korn, where is Chianti?" Gin asked, puzzled by her absence

"She said she wanted to finish the husband off before she left" Korn responded

"We don't have time for this, she's got twenty seconds and then…" he chose not elaborate verbally, but instead simply averting his gaze back to the switch in his hands. Korn was startled by the statement but nodded and walked away from the car window. As he reached the vehicle he and Chianti had come to the hotel in, he shot a quick glance back to the building 'hurry up Chianti.'

"Gin, who are you calling?" Vodka asked, curious as to why he would make a call with twenty seconds left until the explosion. Gin allowed his first words into the phone to answer his partner's question

"Vermouth" he said heartlessly. He could hear her breathing heavily into the phone

"What" she said curtly

"Look at the room" he lifted the remote up to eye level with himself, as if he wanted Vermouth to somehow see what he was about to do. The line went silent as Gin flicked the first switch, which turned the green light on. His smile was sinister as he gazed at the remote, tracing the second switch with his gloved thumb "Ready?" he asked, crumbling her already fragile state of mind.

* * *

As the smoke cleared in front of Yuusaku's face, he scanned the area where a young woman once stood to see if she was still there. Once he confirmed her demise he turned toward the entrance of the hotel and ran through it, taking a sharp right and b-lining for his car.

* * *

Vermouth's trembling hand caused the phone to shake violently against her ear. His words had penetrated her psyche and stripped away what little composure she still possessed. Her eyes were fixated on the room where she had just committed the most detestable of deeds. She had been immune to guilt for so long the feeling was like something new that she didn't now how to handle.

* * *

As she watched the blood stain the floor beside her, Yukiko lifted the sides of her mouth into a faint smile. Her eyes were hardly open and her breathing was slow and weak but she was still alive. She thought back to the years of happiness she had enjoyed and she shut her eyes. She wanted to picture the most beautiful thing in the world as she passed on, the same image she had been spellbound by as she stared blankly out into the darkness just a short time before. She thought of her husband, and her son, and his wife, and their kids. They were all surrounded by sunlight and green grass. The scene was so awe inspiring it brought a tear to her eye.

*Click*

As the room burst into flames, shining like a beacon to all of those surrounding it, all eyes were transfixed by it. A husband, a friend and a murderer: these were the people that watched as the beautiful actress was sent into eternity. The murderer grinned and ordered his lackey to drive away, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and a cabaret of dancing flames. The friend was awash with guilt as the reality of her deception came to light. Her only true friend was gone to oblivion and she had sent her there. She turned the key in her ignition and drove away from the scene, muttering a futile prayer that she would be forgiven when they met in the afterlife. The husband fell to his knees as he heard the explosion. He did not turn to face it however. There was no need, she had left him before eruption and he was thankful for that. His only solace was that she was able to depart from the living in a more peaceful manner than that. The resounding blast was nevertheless a reminder of what he had lost, of who he had lost. He rose to his feet, still carrying despair in his countenance and entered his vehicle. He pulled out slowly and left the scene, wiping the remnants of tears from his face and remembering the hand that had touched him such a short time ago.

**What happens now? This is only the beginning of a tale of anger, remorse, revenge, love and hate. Sorry if it gets confusing, there were alot of perspective changes in this one. And the the last paragraph was a third person omniscient POV **

**keep reading, and for those of you that have been keeping up with this story**

**i would bake you cookies if i could cook**

**but i cant**

**so I'll just say thanks**


	12. Conan is Dead

"Ne?" Kazuha responded, rising from her knees. She was currently clad in a white apron and yellow rubber gloves, holding a wet sponge. She had been slaving away, trying to clean the walkway floor. She and Sonoko had wasted no time getting to work on cleaning the house. Well, Kazuha hadn't, Sonoko had been 'sidetracked' by an important matter concerning a Shopper's Guide magazine article. Ran was pleasantly surprised to see her friend so hard at work

"I just discovered something interesting, guess who's next door?" her tone was teasing and mischievous. Kazuha raised an eyebrow at the unusual manner in which her friend was speaking but nonetheless gave in to her curiosity

"Who?" she asked, wiping some well-earned sweat away from her brow. Ran giggled at the image in her head of Heiji, blushing furiously as Kazuha cornered him and battered him with accusations about his being there.

**~Ran's Daydream~**

"What are you stalking me now?" Kazuha screamed angrily at him

"Aho! Who would want to stalk someone like you?" he retorted increasing his volume over hers

"You're the Aho! First you k-k-kiss me and now you're following me around like some sort of predator!" despite her awkward stuttering she had just taken the upper hand in the argument

"Aho! You thought that was a k-kiss! I don't even know where you would get that!" he tried his best to create a formidable response but it was futile

"Oh really? Well then what was it genius detective! What exactly would you call that!" Although her exterior appeared angry inside she was yearning for him to finally say what she had been waiting to hear for so long

"Well it was a...uh...it was a test. That's it, it was a test!" he seemed overjoyed with his ability to pull an excuse out thin air

"What!" Kazuha's self control was long gone by now "A test of what you aho!"

"To see if you were a pervert that would like something like that. See, I proved it" his tone had returned to its usual self-assuredness

"Wh- Aho! Who said I liked it!" she screamed violently

"Its obvious you've been thinking about judging by how excited you are about the topic" he grinned his deductive grin and stared at her as the vehement glare was removed from her eyes and replaced by an innocent one

"I...I just um..."

"What, no argument?" he said, densely basking in his victory, unaware of his serious blunder

"What if I did?" she whispered, almost to herself

"Ran I..." she said as- wait, Ran?

**~End Daydream~**

"Ran-chan!"

Kazuha was once again frightened by her friend's behavior 'First she starts snickering and acting funny and now she goes off into la-la land while she's still talking to me' she thought, unnerved by the prospects of such laughter and the ensuing daydream. Just as Ran snapped out of her trance and opened her mouth to speak a loud and seemingly overdone knock came at the door. Ran spun around to address the knock while Kazuha continued to contemplate what was going on with her friend. Her thoughts were distracted however because for the first time since that morning Kazuha's thoughts were drawn back to

"Hattori-kun!" Ran exclaimed, shocked by his appearance in the doorway. He was sweating profusely and panting

"Oi 'neechan what are you doin' here?" He asked, feigning ignorance at an ear shattering volume

"What are _you_ doing here?" she retorted, not even batting an eyelash to his question

"I" he started, still panting "was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd see if that wannabe detective was back from his 'big case' yet" Heiji had known Conan for a while, so pretending to know nothing had become second nature to him

**~Flashback~**

"Okay" Heiji said to himself "If I just run in place for a little while and then go over to Kudo's place it'll look like ran there. Then the other two will believe me and hopefully 'neechan will just go with it, at least for a while. I'll have to think of another excuse for her" His train of thought was broken when he heard an unmistakably snide chuckle behind him. He whipped around to see a little girl in a lab coat trying not to laugh "Don't laugh at me aho!" he yelled defensively, only spurring Haibara into further amusement. Heiji simply shook his head and walked out the door to carry out his scheme

**~End Flashback~**

"Oh…" Ran was thoroughly stumped. She was so sure she had the upper hand before he had come but now she was utterly speechless. The last thing she had expect was for him to show up at her doorstep. She had started to worry until she was saved from her awkward silence by a familiar voice that came from the kitchen

"Hattori-kun? What are you doing here?" Sonoko asked with a volume to match Heiji's

"I" he took one last deep breath and leveled out his respirations to a calm tempo "was just in the neighborhood, I wanted to his if Kudo was here" he said in a matter-of-fact way

"Oh well I don't think he's the one you should be concerned with" she teased, chuckling heartily to herself with an air of satisfaction. It was at that moment Heiji remembered the other person in the room. His cheeks flushed fluorescent red as his eyes finally met Kazuha's. Whether out of embarrassment or their own awkward natures, they chose not to greet one another. Instead Kazuha spun around like a top and went back to her scrubbing while Heiji turned his attention to the girl standing in front of him

"Well I guess since he's not here I'll just go then. Oh by the way" he brought his voice down to a whisper, trying to hide the next few words from the other girls in the house "Agasa, the four eyed kid and that little girl left to go camping so I'm going to hang out at the police headquarters." Ran listened attentively and then a realization hit her with the force of a mallet

"Wait Conan-kun was with you just a minute ago!" she screamed, apparently not understanding Heiji invitation to converse privately

"Uh yeah but they already left" Ran looked down at the ground in front of her and sniffled, wiping her eyes behind her bangs "you alright?" Heiji asked, concerned with her well-being on Shinichi's behalf

"I could have said goodbye to him, but now he's gone. I let him leave without saying goodbye…" by that point she had stopped talking to Heiji and was instead speaking introspectively to herself. Heiji was torn by the situation 'I don't how Kudo watches this and doesn't say anything. I hardly know her and I want to tell her'. Heiji shook his head and placed a hand platonically on her shoulder to get her attention and comfort her as much as possible. In a moment of slurred emotions and uncontrollable impulse Ran lunged at Heiji and gripped his body as tightly as she could. Heiji froze at the contact with wide eyes. His eyes went even wider as he noticed Kazuha, who, despite continuing to push and pull the sponge along the floor had taken a keen interest in the events unfolding in the doorway. Heiji wanted to scream denial at her as she glared angrily at her friend's seemingly intimate contact with the man she loved. Ran was no longer crying on his shoulder but was simply holding onto him for comfort. Heiji, for all his bravado and courage could not bring himself to peel the emotionally frail young woman off of him. Finally, to Heiji's great relief, Ran loosened her grip on him and pulled away, smiling brightly as she wiped the remnants of tears that were left on her face. Heiji was still stunned speechless and had developed traces of red all over his cheeks, not unnoticed by the pony-tailed girl still on her knees absentmindedly rubbing a sponge on the floor in a circular pattern.

"Uh…" Heiji mumbled, unsure of what his next course of action would be. Ran continued to smile and then did something unprecedented that nearly sent Heiji out of commission: she drew her face close to his and whispered something in his ear

"You think Kazuha-chan will be mad?" she asked in an innocent tone. She lingered near his ear ear for a moment and he could feel the side of her face curling up in a sinister grin. After a second she pulled away abruptly and gave him a friendly wave "Sorry about embarrassing you like that" she stated in a cheerful manner as she strayed away from the doorway, leaving Heiji to bask in the aftermath of her vengeance. Kazuha had now turned around completely to focus on her scrubbing which she was doing with a significantly greater amount of force than she had been before. Heiji, unable to form a thought, nonetheless a plan, decided it best to exit while he was still alive. He took a step backward and slowly closed the door, making sure to watch Kazuha diligently as the closing door limited his vision until she had disappeared from sight. With a heavy sigh Heiji turned and walked out through the front gate and made his way back to the Professor's house. Upon his reentry he was confronted by an angry looking Haibara and a worried Agasa

"Is it taken care of?" Haibara asked with a tone cold enough to startle Heiji

"Uh y-yeah its fine now they think you've all left on a camping trip" Haibara and Agasa looked at each before returning their eyes to Heiji

"Hattori-kun, it's time. Kudo-kun is ready" Haibara's voice was without so much as a hint of humor or satire

"Oh! O-Ok well then what are we waiting for?" he asked with a degree of annoyance

"Confirmation that we won't be disturbed. Now that we have that, let's begin" she stated plainly with a subtle grin of confidence

* * *

"What the-" a young man clad in thick glasses mumbled irately as he approached his current residence. He had been living in the Kudo mansion for a few months and despite its majesty there were some drawbacks to living there, one being Mouri Ran. 'That girl' he thought as he exited his vehicle 'She's always here, cleaning, moving things around. If she were to find the wrong thing…' he grimaced at the thought of his blown cover as he turned and opened the front gate. He walked toward the front door with a more visibly annoyed countenance 'Its impossible to get anything done in this house when that girl is cleaning.' He turned the door knob and was alarmed when he was welcomed by a girl he'd never seen before screaming at him about a guy he didn't know

"Heiji you aho get out and leave me alone!" Kazuha roared with no reservation before turning around to look at the person in the doorway. When she turned with curved eyebrows to address the guy she was ready to murder she yelped

"Hello" Okiya said genially with a friendly wave

"Y-You're not…" she trailed off as embarrassment tied her tongue

"Kazuha what are yelling abo-" Sonoko was cut off when she saw the strange man smiling innocently at the entrance of the house "Hey who are you and why are you here?" Sonoko yelled in a mixture of timidity and hostility

"I don't think we've met, I'm Okiya Subaru, I am taking up residence here while Kudo-kun is away" he said amiably, still maintaining the inviting smile he had when he first entered the house. Ran had been vacuuming until this point so she came down the stairs of the mansion completely unaware of the high volume exchange that had just taken place

"Oh O-Okiya-san sorry if we're disturbing you" Ran said, trying her best to mask her nervousness. Okiya had always made her nervous, she had even mentioned this to Shinichi on one occasion. However, Shinichi trusted him in his house so she supposed she had no reason to distrust him either.

"No at all. I wonder how long do you think you will be here?" He asked trying not to seem conspicuous

"Oh well with three of us it shouldn't be long." She encouraged with a wide smile. Okiya gave her a nod and made his way to the library where he spent most of his time. As he entered the room and closed the door behind him the smile he had kept up curved into a more sadistic grin. He took a seat at the desk and listened closely as the house began to bustle with the sound of women at work once again. He opened the bottom drawer to his left and placed a brown bottle and a small wine glass on the desk in front of him

" A little early for that don't you think?" he said to himself with concern

"Not at all, I dare say I don't think there's any better time for such a fine drink" he said, addressing the previous opinion he had stated

"But you know how you get; you don't want to be irrational do you? Especially with so many people around" He asked himself. He considered his own words but eventually waved a hand at the air

"Nonsense, you act as if I can't hold my liquor. Don't underestimate me" he said as he popped open the bottle and filled his glass halfway full. He looked at the glass with desiring eyes and poured the drink into his mouth, swallowing as it entered. Once the glass was finished he reached for the bottle to pour himself a second drink

"Come on, one is enough, we'll have another drink later hm? Yes let's complete the mission first then we'll have a drink to celebrate. It will taste so much better after we have attained success" His face became irritated but after careful thought he replaced the cork in his bottle of imported Blanton's Aged Bourbon.

"You're right my friend. We'll complete our objective and then we'll celebrate." With that he placed the used glass and the bottle back into their drawer and closed it. Then he reached for the drawer to his right which contained a handheld listening device with two tuning knobs and two import jacks on adjacent sides of the device. In addition it had a few brightly colored lights and a small rectangular display screen on the front of it. Underneath it was a pair of headphones and another handheld device similar to a stun gun. It had two antennas that stuck out about two inches and a single on/off switch. Okiya went to work plugging in the headphones and the receiver into the listening device. Once this was done he turned the left knob and sifted through the static that the receiver was picking up until it eventually landed on the frequency he desired. He turned the right knob for and leaned forward in his seat intently, listening in on the conversation next door

* * *

"Kudo-kun" Haibara said in a calm, determined manner. Conan stirred and eventually looked down at her from his bed. He chose not to respond verbally and instead simply gave her his attention by looking intensely into her eyes "We are going to administer the first round of the antidote. Do to the nature of the drug it will need two rounds in order to be completely effective. This will not be ingested orally as it had been in the past, this will be sent through your bloodstream. After I give you this injection you will start to feel the usual symptoms of you transformation: chest pain, rising heart rate and overall muscle pain. However the actual change will not occur until after the second round of the drug. I recommend you try to sleep through this phase of the process"

"H-How long will I h-have to w-wait for the second round?" he asked shakily. The virus had indeed run its course through his body. His face was pale and his body was quivering uncontrollably making him appear emaciated and weak. He had also fallen victim to a violent cough with seemed to cause him an immeasurable amount of pain. All of the people present had noticed these symptoms and could not help but be sympathetic toward him.

"One hour. Then the second round will take approximately three hours. Fortunately the intensity of the pain and the stress on your body will have you unconsciousness long before you actually transform. When you wake up, you will be Kudo Shinichi once again and Edogawa Conan will be nothing more than a fleeting memory." She involuntarily winced as she said this

"H-Haibara…." Conan mumbled, unsure of what to say or think about her attitude toward the demise of his pseudo-person

"Well, let's begin then" she said with a drastically altered countenance, sounding almost excited "Hakase, would mind making the injection" she said in her more natural tone

"Uh hai!" he said, placing a hand on Conan's arm to stabilize it. Then he inserted the syringe into the prominent vein on the crease of the young boy's arm. Conan hardly noticed the needle enter or exit his arm.

"There's one more thing you should know" Haibara said as she started to leave the room. Conan looked at her, fearful of what the 'one more thing' could be. She stopped walking as Heiji and Agasa passed by her and exited the room. She turned her head around to look at him "We can't give you any anesthetic, because it might dilute the drug, so you'll have to be strong." Conan let out a groan and fell back against the pillow behind him. As soon as he heard Haibara take a step to exit however he shot himself back into an upright position

"Wait!" he said hurriedly, as if he wouldn't have another chance to speak to her. She turned back around completely, alarmed by his volume and tone

"W-What is it Kudo-kun?" she asked hesitantly

"Its just I…wanted to thank you, for everything. You've been a great friend to me and I appreciate everything you've done for me" he smiled genuinely at her, trying to further verify his words

"Don't thank me, I did this to you in the first place. And besides, you've given me more than I could have possibly given you." She spoke somberly as she attempted to return his genuine happiness

"Oi Haibara, you don't have to look so sad, it's not like I'm dying here" he said, trying to lighten her mood

"In a way, you are. You may not realize it, but to a lot of people Edogawa Conan was a real person that they loved and cherished. You may not be dying, but Conan is." Conan was not angry or surprised by her words; many times he had considered these thoughts himself. It seemed like no matter what he did someone had to get hurt.

"Haibara-" he was cut off by her hand as she motioned for him to remain silent

"I'm not angry at you and you shouldn't feel guilty about this. If for no other reason, you and your beloved girlfriend from childhood deserve each other. You've waited long enough Kudo-kun, but I warn you, even after this we still have work to do, our battle is not over yet." Conan nodded in agreement with her statement

"Thank you" he whispered almost inaudibly

"Goodbye, Edogawa-kun" she whispered back as she exited the room and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Back at the Kudo mansion the subtle sound of horrid laughter could be heard throughout the library. The noise throughout the house almost completely drowned it out but to the trained ear a male voice could be heard snickering and stomping his feet in amusement. After a few moments of this the elated noises calm down and a grin creeps onto Okiya Subarau's face

"Four hours hm?"


	13. An Apparition

Yuusaku had been lying on the couch in his living for a little over an hour by this point. Although it had only taken him twenty five minutes to arrive home from the hotel, he hadn't yet summoned the courage to traverse the staircase that led to his bedroom. 'My bedroom' he thought somberly to himself, still in shock at the events that had transpired in the past hour. He hadn't had his own bedroom in over twenty years nor had he wanted one. He still didn't want one, but there was no longer an alternative. As he lied on his back staring at the ceiling blankly, he tried earnestly to keep his mind clear of any thoughts. He wanted not a single image to cross his mind because he knew if one did it would lead to a place that he wasn't ready to go, a place where the knowledge of his isolation in the world was in full view. In this place he would be strangled every second of every day by pure, unadulterated agony and he could not handle it. He had never been a weak man nor had he been a coward but this ominous future was beyond any obstacle he had faced or any he could have ever imagined. He struggled valiantly to fight off these impending arrows of desolation that worked madly to bore holes of depression into his already fragile psyche. He rolled over onto his side only to be confronted by a projectile that put all of the other 'arrows' to shame; a picture. A picture was all it took to push a proud man over the edge into uninhibited sobbing. It was a large picture on the mantle adjacent to the couch that depicted a sunny afternoon when Shinichi and Ran had come to visit them in New York. It was less than a year after they had moved away from Japan and left Shinichi to take care of himself. A murder case had ensued but Shinichi made relatively quick work of it and even saved Ran and himself from a murderer. The next day the two thirteen year olds had gone with Yukiko to see Grand Central Park. He had met them there later in the afternoon to pick them up and drive the two teenagers back to the airport. Before they left Yukiko had become enthralled by the beautiful scenery and demanded a picture of the four of them. They found a passerby and he gladly snapped the photo of them which Yukiko promptly printed and framed. It had been used a number of times for benign reminiscence by he and his wife. Now he looked on it with misty eyes as he remembered his wife, his family, his life. His life which for all intensive purposes had ended in the last two hours. Now he was left with only the fond memories of what was once a beautiful family. She looked stunning in the photo, which only made the picture harder to bear. Her hair was shining in the sunset and her eyes were full of the same exuberance and zeal they had been they day he met her. And the day he lost her. 'Even at the end' he allowed the most painful thought of all to tear threw his mind relentlessly 'she was still only concerned with me. She still did her best to be positive and uplifting. She remained herself until the last seconds…' he rolled back over onto his back, no longer able to stand the sight of the paper memory. As he faced the darkness of the ceiling again the image followed him, plastering itself across the ceiling. He groaned out in pain and frustration, closing his eyes tightly and pushing his hands into his eyes with unwarranted force. And even there, in the greatest depths of darkness he could conjure it still swam freely, taunting him. The image of everything that he had ever truly cared about tormented him by making its ungodly presence known with excruciating clarity. He knew this was his fate the moment he allowed reality to make its reentry. He could only sob again as the utter futility of his evasions dawned on him: there was no where for him to run or hide. In every dark corner and every sunshine filled field, in every crowded forum and even to the greatest depths of the ocean there it lied: his life, which had now abandoned him and left him a ghost of a person, a hollow shell of a human being. He was a heartless, a nobody, an apparition, a mirage in the distance. He could no longer consider himself to be of the world for he had no life to call his own. Without a life one cannot live, therefore he was dead. And yet he remained, still in a body, still physically present for all the world to see and acknowledge. The weight of all this was emotionally exhausting and soon he found himself thankfully embraced by the sweet embrace of slumber, fearful of the moment when he would awaken and these thoughts and realities would return to him.

_A picture is worth a thousand words_

_Each of which has a story_

_Each story linked to a string_

_Which is gently threaded to the heart_

_Who is wary of every one_

_For a heart string is more fragile than others_

_It is unstable and easily disturbed_

_And yet in full view of this_

_The heart allows these strings to attach themselves_

_Not ignorant of the risks involved_

_Because these strands are the life lines_

_Which sustain and destroy it._

_The conundrum presented is indeed a tumultuous one_

_To beat life into the heart it must be laced with this risky twine _

_That will undoubtedly become its demise _

_It is an undeniable fact of nature_

_That a man lives and dies by his heart_

_And the strings that are attached to it_


	14. Keep Out

It had been an hour since Sato had arrived home from the police headquarters. The idea of having a weekend off would have been a God send to most people, but not Sato Miwako. No, she was far too energetic and work oriented to enjoy such a complete and utter waste of time. She had been home for an hour and had accomplished absolutely nothing. Thus far she had taken off her uniform, put on her pajamas, put away an entire tub of ice cream and watched the first two episodes of an all day marathon of a soap opera she considered her guilty pleasure. She felt utterly worthless and she had a deep yearning to accomplish something. She thought hard about the possible ways to use her time, then she remembered her parting words with her boyfriend 'I'll call you when I get off, maybe we could get dinner. That's what he said…' her thoughts trailed off as she imagined a beautiful candlelit dinner with her significant other. Then the though dawned on her, bringing a stupid grin to her face 'maybe I should surprise him with dinner.' As she further pondered the prospects she recollected an important flaw in her plan "I don't cook" she said aloud with a tinge of despair in her voice "But then again…" she continued, taking a moment to bring her thoughts together "that would make it even more surprising. And besides, there's nothing I can't do!" She exclaimed the end of her revelation with an air of confidence as she ran to her bedroom to throw some clothes on. When she exited her room clad in what she considered her casual wear, she swiped her keys off of the couch where she had been lounging and ran out the door. As she hot the sidewalk and began to walk she carefully inventoried all of the ingredients she would need to make…'wait' she thought, suddenly nervous with a bead of sweat running down the bridge of her nose 'what am I going to make!' she quickly turned around and headed back to her apartment.

* * *

Takagi had been in a fantastic mood since the moment Sato had left the office and it terrified the people working around him. They mutter to one another around the water cooler

"What's the deal with Takagi?" one would ask in a hushed voice

"I don't know but it's weird. You'd think he'd be sad or at least mellow since Sato is gone but he seems happy as a clam"

"It's honestly disturbing" the third man would interject. Of these curious coworkers none was more perturbed by the events taking place than Shiratori. He had been observing there relationship for some time, and, even though he no longer had any sort of affection toward Sato he still felt obligated to keep up to date on their romantic advancements. Many times Kobayashi had even confronted him about his obsessive observation of the couple, to which he would simply reply.

"Is that jealousy I here?" and she would blush furiously and scream denial as he reeled her in for a tight embrace and chuckled at her occasional insecurity. She really had nothing to be jealous about though, he was watching them in a platonic way solely as a friend and colleague. It was for this reason that he was currently perched against the door to Sato's office, staring down accusingly at his young underling.

"So" he said loudly to gain the attention of the man before him. Takagi jumped at the sound of a voice behind him. He turned around swiftly only to be met by Shiratori's inquisitive eyes

"Shiratori-san, what are you doing over here?" he asked nervously, throwing him an awkward smile

"Let's not play games, you know what I'm here to ask you about" his tone was clear and direct, leaving no room for denial or argument

"I…I can't tell you" Shitatori raised an eyebrow at the implication of his secrecy

"So it's like that…" he muttered to himself. Thinking quickly he launched himself toward Takagi, bring his head beside Takagi's, ear to ear. Takagi began to sweat while Shiratori maintained a clam demeanor "Where is it?" he asked confidently, amused by the subtle quivering of his coworker

"What are you t-" he stopped his sentence curtly as Shiratori shot up from the position he was in and leaned against the door behind him once again

"The ring, Takagi, the ring." Takagi's face filled with embarrassment and horror at Shiratori's seemingly telekinetic prediction

"S-Shiratori-san I d-don't…" he stopped and sighed heavily, realizing the futility of his aversions. He bowed his and reached his hand into his right pant's pocket. When the hand returned it was holding a velvet box that was all too familiar to Shiratori

"As I thought. When do you intend to ask her?" he asked with a more genial attitude, relaxing his shoulders and grinning

"T-Tonight. I tried to ask her to dinner discretely so we wouldn't be followed there" As humorous as the idea was to them, the reality was if he didn't keep this secret he would probably be either kidnapped or murdered

"Well it seems then that I will have to move plans forward" he mumbled with a hand on his chin, looking away from Takagi

"Wait what?" he almost screamed, drawing the attention of half of the office. Shiratori quickly refocused after his coworker's powerful shout

"What, oh nothing. I have work to do, but congratulations" he said cheerfully as he walked, still deep on thought. 'His plans?' Takagi thought confusedly until something occurred to him, slamming his brain like a ton of bricks. He jumped out of his seat and poked his head out over the perimeter of his cubicle

"Wait you're going to-" he cut off his own uninhibited yelling as he noticed the eyes that were on him. Shiratori hardly even noticed his question and instead continued to contemplate and mumble to himself. Although it wasn't usually in his nature, when it came to Shiratori he had always been a little competitive. It had started platonically, trying to match and exceed his deductive and crime solving abilities, and then they had fought over Sato. Now he was again feeling a strong burning in his chest to defeat his unofficial nemesis. He picked up his phone and called one of his speed dials. After four rings the answering machine picked up, and Takagi hung up his phone irately. He glanced over to his superior's desk and noticed he was on the phone as well, smiling and laughing. He knew exactly what he was planning, but their battle wasn't over yet 'I have to get to Sato-san before he gets to Kobayashi-sensei!' he resolved in his mind

* * *

"Ran!" Sonoko whined pitifully "Are we done yet, we've been here over an hour!" Ran emerged from the kitchen with the glistening of sweat visible on her forehead

"Sonoko" Ran responded, using the inflection in her voice to answer her friend's question

"But I'm bored" Sonoko bellow out, demanding sympathy. Ran simply 'hmmph'ed and walked back into the kitchen 'you haven't done anything, it's no wonder you're bored' she mused and giggled to herself

"Okay Ran-chan I'm done dusting the bookshelves, is there anything else we need to do?" Kazuha asked, trying her best to appear in high spirits even though the last ten minutes had been the most terrifyingly awkward time of her life. Okiya had simply watched her work, saying literally nothing. She was just glad to be done with that particular chore. Ran came out of the kitchen once again, this time with a towel in her hands

"No I think we're done, thank you so much for all of your help!" She was beaming and genuinely grateful

"It's no problem at all!" Kazuha and Ran share a mutual exchange of smiles while Sonoko yawned obnoxiously as she rose from the couch

"So we can leave now?" Ran rolled her eyes and addressed her lazier friend

"Yes, but where do you want to go?" Kazuha asked. They all looked around at one another until Sonoko raised her hand in the air and snapped her fingers

"I know! How about a movie and Ran's house? We'll get a bunch of love stories and some ice cream, a girl's night!" The other two girls couldn't help but jump giddily at the idea

"That sounds great!" Ran screamed. Kazuha nodded to the suggestion as well and in a second they were out the door. As the girl's giggled and chatted about what movies to get and what Kogoro would think of their 'home invasion', Ran suddenly stopped in front of Agasa's house and lingered their while the other two girls continued to walk, unaware of their friend's absence. After ten or twelve steps they snapped back and sprinted over to Ran shouting

"What are you doing Ran-chan?" Kazuha asked with a puzzled expression. Ran continued to look at the house, unaware of her friend's efforts to gain her attention until a blasting noise finally pierced through her ear

"RAN KUDO SHINICHI TOLD ME HE'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!" Sonoko screamed out of sheer frustration after having shrieked her name numerous times. Her choice of words snapped Ran out of her trance and she turned to face Sonoko

"Eh?" she grunted dazedly, as if she'd just woken up from a mental nap. Sonoko threw her hands over her mouth having realized what she blurted out

"N-Nothing, Ran what are you staring at?" she asked hurriedly, trying to change the subject

"Oh, I don't really know. I just have this weird feeling like someone's in there, like something's wrong" her voice was timid and nervous which startled her friends

"Well" Kazuha said in an inversely upbeat manner "Let's go check then. At worst, no one is home and we leave" Ran nodded in compliance and Sonoko laid her hand against her back to encourage her. As they approached the door an overwhelming feeling of fear and foreboding came over her. When they reached the door Ran hesitated to knock. This problem was soon quelled by Sonoko, who in her impatience had decided slam her hand forcefully against the door.

"Hello? Who's in there?" she screamed threateningly

* * *

"Dammit!" Heiji wailed as a familiar voice screamed at the door. He had been lounging on the couch waiting for Shinichi to regain consciousness for over an hour and his only form of entertainment was a small book of various word puzzles and mental exercises that Conan had been keeping at the house as a precaution in the event that the 'case' he was investigating with the detective boys became too lackluster. He had been thoroughly bored of it since the moment he picked it up but it beat the alternatives which were: watching Haibara brood in the lab or listening to Agasa's quizzes. When the knock came at the door he had practically leapt off the couch. The scream that followed it had only further frightened him and put him on edge. The situation was not helped when a very agitated Haibara came marching out of the lab. When she came face to face with Heiji her glare was cold and judgmental.

"Fix this Hattori" she said as she turned away from him giving him an unrivaled cold shoulder. He hesitated for a moment before coming up with a plan that brought a cocky grin to his face

"Don't worry" he said with a new air of confidence that encouraged and disturbed the young biochemist. As Heiji approached the door he heard another knock and then a more delicate voice that sent a shiver down his spine. 'Dammit!' he growled internally 'I forgot about her. I don't even think I can look at her right now' the arrogance that was plastered on his face moments prior dissipated and was replaced by fear and anxiety as he turned the knob of the door

After only thirty seconds of waiting Sonoko had already exhausted what little staying power she had and marched away from the door toward the sidewalk. Kazuha and Ran were reluctant to leave so easily so Kazuha had stepped in front of the door to make another attempt at alerting the people within

"Is there anyone here?" she asked in a tender, trying to contrast the terrifying woman that came before her. After another few moments of waiting they heard the hushed sound of the door knob turning from within the house. Ran was thoroughly disturbed by the presence of a person, considering what Heiji had told her just an hour before. She had come to the door to reassure herself, and now there was actually someone in the house, someone that she most likely didn't know. 'A home invader? A thief? A kidnapper?' she allowed unnerving thoughts like this to swirl around in her innocent mind until the door finally opened and revealed a man that silenced her fears but simultaneously awakened her curiosity

"H-H-Heiji?" Kazuha stuttered, overtaken by shock and embarrassment. Seeing his face had flooded her mind with memories of their last interaction and judging by the healthy coating of red on Heiji's cheeks seeing her had the same effect on him.

Heiji was on the verge of hyperventilating. Seeing her had sent any preconceived notions about a plan or a strategy into a fog, leaving him to stand awkwardly in the doorway. He tried to conjure up a word or a phrase or even her name but his tongue betrayed the way his mind already had. Ran picked up on this insurmountable silence that had befallen the two teenagers and took it upon herself to rescue them from it

"What are you doing her Hattori-kun, I thought you were going to police headquarters" she recalled

"Oh well uh…" he said scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously. He had already been sweating from the pressure of Kazuha's gaze which hadn't left him since the moment he opened the door, but now Ran was questioning him and he still could hardly think nonetheless lie effectively

"Heiji…" Kazuha mumbled in a barely audible voice which was further muffled by her lips which had barely even parted for her to get his name out. Heiji had heard this before, this way she had of saying his name. He had never understood what it meant but he knew it usually came before or after crying, and that scared him

"Alright look" he said with newfound bravado which was spurred mostly by his sudden desire to avoid any tears if at all possible "the old man told me to watch his place while he was away since that little girl was going with them too. I didn't find this out until after I talked to you 'neechan." He sighed heavily, feeling rather relieved at the weight of the situation being lifted off his chest.

"Oh really, then is it okay if we use this house to watch movies in later?" Ran asked expectantly. The panic that had been so close to setting in when he opened the door was now in full gear and Heiji could hardly breathe

"Uh no, NO!" he said conspicuously, earning him a raised eyebrow from Ran. Kazuha hadn't shown any reaction to his outburst, she had only continued to stare at him longingly.

"Why not?" Ran retorted vehemently "If no one is here we should be able to use it!" the exchange had apparently caught Sonoko's attention because she quickly poked her head into their argument

"What happened?" she asked

"Nothing!" Ran and Heiji said in unison. Sonoko jumped back, startled by the level of aggression between the two. As she stepped back she noticed Kazuha continuing to ogle at Heiji, seemingly unnoticed. Sonoko saw this as an opportunity to entertain herself so she gently brought her head to rest on Kazuha's left shoulder and whispered

"He really is cute isn't he?" she snickered as Kazuha's face lit up in a fiery inferno of bashfulness the likes of which overshadowed even the greatest of embarrassing moments with Ran and Shinichi which were hard to top

"What are you talking about!" Kazuha screamed violently, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. The outburst silence Ran and Heiji who were stunned by her volume and tone

"Kazuha-chan w-" Ran tried to deduce what was wrong but before she could Kazuha had already addressed Heiji with an index finger accusingly raised to his face

"What the-" Heiji questioned before he was cut off

"What was that about this morning? Heiji why did you do that?" her face was red and her breathing was erratic as she awaited his response. Heiji was blown away by the brutal forwardness with which she had posed her questions. He raised a hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his forward which only infuriated the girl in front of him "Answer me!" she roared, causing him to stop his hand mid-wipe and place it back at his side. Her face was hard and unrelenting as her eyes bore holes through his head.

"I…" he fumbled with the words which were certainly clear in his mind. There were actually the only words that were clear in his mind. Since the moment he laid eyes on her he had been able to think of little else and her diligent gaze was not helping "Would you stop looking at me?" he screamed in a moment of thoughtless frustration

"Not until you answer Heiji!" she retorted, matching his elevated volume. She was just begging for a screaming match and he was happy to oblige

"Why do you want to know!" he roared just a few points below his loudest

"Because people don't just do THAT for no reason now tell me!" although she was shouting at the top of her lungs her eyes were still unmistakably frail and wanting. She did have a reason for asking, but she wanted him to figure it out for himself just as she had for years.

"Well I'm sorry!" His apology came with venom as took a step a forward, bringing him within a foot of her. She shuddered at his now inescapable presence but remained resolute in her argument

"I don't want an apology I want a reason!" she had reached her limit and her anger was about to boil over into violence which despite the size difference would be detrimental to Heiji's health

"Well I don't have one I just did because it felt right okay!" the veins in his necks were now protruding and pulsing at the same rapid rate as his heart. When the words were out in the open both parties calmed down a bit and attempted to put them into context. As the hostility meted away, Ran seized the opportunity to step away from the bickering pair. She had been inclined to do so since the first scream from her friend but she thought it might make things worse if she moved so she simply waited silently. When she peeled herself away from the doorway and backpedaled to the spot by the gate where Sonoko was she gave her a concerned glance. Sonoko returned the gesture with a shrug of the shoulders and they both looked back at the two Osakan teens who were still silent. The mounting tension between them had reached a head and Kazuha decided it was time to end their nonverbal standoff

"So was it…an…accident?" she asked sheepishly, tempting to just leave before he answered. Heiji brought his eyes up to meet hers and gave her his trademark smirk

"No" with one word Kazuha melted and leapt forward, wrapping her arms around his torso. He was convinced she was actually trying to squeeze the life out him. Against his better judgment he raised a trembling hand and raked his fingers through her hair, pulling her hair tie out in the process. He grip tightened and he almost gasped but restrained himself and continued to sift his fingers through her soft, brown which was slightly tangled from its extensive time in a ponytail. After only a minute or two of this she slowly released him and gaze him an innocent stare which worked hard to reduce his internal organs to rubble.

"Kazuha" he whispered to her tenderly, trying to retain the serene atmosphere that had set in on them. She looked up at him with hope filled eyes, awaiting some meaningful revelation but was met instead with a simple proposition "let's take a walk". She smiled at him, not quite disappointed and nodded. He took one step out of the doorway and remembered why he had originally confronted the girls at the door, "hold on let me grab my jacket" he said hurriedly. She nodded again subtly and turned to face her friends you were beaming at her. She smiled back and they knew without words exactly what had transpired.

* * *

Heiji quickly detoured to the lab approached the little girl who was currently mixing a variety of liquid chemicals and analyzing the results. Without facing him she asked curtly

"What did you do?" by her tone he knew she had already he failed at his task which infuriated him

"Nothing, look I'm leaving I'll make sure they stay away and I'll call you if anything happens" he walked out of the lab without receiving a response. Haibara rolled her eyes and went on with what she was doing

* * *

Kazuha stood on the doorstep patiently awaiting Heiji's return and felt her heart jump when he resurfaced from the house. He exited and closed the door behind him

"Ready?" he asked as he walked past her

"Aho wait for me" she tried to sound angry but failed miserably. Heiji chuckled at her as she finally caught up to him and took her place by his side. When she noticed him openly laughing at her she punched him playfully in the arm and feigned anger, once again ineffectively. Heiji simply continued to laugh with his hands buried in his pockets as they walked past the two girls at the front gate. They both looked at one another and decided to take another route to her house. As they separated from the 'couple' they giggled to one another and felt an immeasurably amount of happiness for their friend.

As the four teenagers abandoned the house, a sharp set of eyes followed from behind thick glasses. Okiya had been observing the trio within the neighboring house since he arrived home. Now that the only physical threat had left he felt it was time to make his move. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number most people didn't even know existed

* * *

"Hello sir" Okiya started officially

"What is it Bourbon?" the deep, hoarse voice asked

"Sir the young man has left the house where Sherry is currently located. How would you like me to act?" he hoped his mission would be one he could enjoy fully, having waited months for an opportunity to end the life of the wretched traitor

"Bourbon she is not your target anymore" Okiya's eyes grew wide in shock as his superior continued "I already explained this to you, she is the least of our worries at this time. She will not attempt any sort of offensive against us because she fears us, but that Kudo Shinichi will. He has been a thorn in our side for too long and I want you to bring him to me, alive. Do you understand your objective?" Okiya tried to mask his disappointment and remain reverent

"Yes sir. Where should I take him?" there was a silence on the other line until the voice chuckled to himself confidently

"Take him to the hideout in Panay. Our influence is strong in that region and the government is corrupt so investigation is not likely." Okiya accepted his explanation

"Affirmative"

"Contact Gin when you have seized the target and he will give you further instructions"

"Yes sir" And with that the call ended. As Okiya put his phone away he gave a disgruntled look at the house at slammed his fist down onto the desk he was sitting at. 'I will get you Sherry, if not now then soon' he grinned maliciously and looked at his watch "Two and a half hours until that brat is in his original body" he pushed his sleeve back down over his wrist and relaxed into his seat. He put both of his hands behind his head and smiled contently "Once I'm done with this Kudo Shinichi…" trailed off in order to give himself an opportunity to complete his sentence "then we get what we really want". He continued to smile at the prospect and closed his eyes, allowing himself to doze off.


	15. On the Hot Seat

Agasa stood before the young girl appalled as she regaled him with the story of their tan acquaintance's admission of fondness in their doorway. Her knack for detail had always impressed him. She had the uncanny ability to recall events in striking specificity and notice the most minute and obscure details. This retelling was no exception; she had managed to pick up on every fidget, every twitch and every nuance in the conversation. Of course the two had no idea she was watching since she was failry elusive and had cloaked herself on the staircase, high enough to see the entryway but low to where neither of them would have noticed her.

"So Hattori-kun has gone off with the girls then?" Agasa asked after ingesting the entire story of their doorway debacle. Haibara nodded with a smirk

"Yes, it seems everything worked out for him and he managed to keeps them away from here" Agasa smiled in agreement as the two stepped into the room where the currently unconscious detective was lying. Haibara looked down on his child form with soft eyes, observing his breaths as they flowed in and out of his body. Agasa reached a hand out and gently placed it on her shoulder

"Ai-kun" she whispered to her sympathetically, feeling more like a father than he ever had in his life. She turned and acknowledged his efforts with a thankful grin and turned back to the child

"I have no right to keep him from this. He's waited long enough and with this he has a chance to finally realize happiness" her eyes grew remorseful as she uttered the painful truth that she despised with all of her being. She closed her small hand tightly over the vile which contained Conan's final dose of antidote. Agasa's hand remained on her shoulder as she approached the bedside. He took a knee beside her and encouraged her wordlessly as she injected the serum into the motionless figure's vein. He unknowingly winced at the slight tinge of pain that came with the injection but after no more than a second he calmed and fell back into his familiar breathing rhythm. Haibara lingered at the bed even after the drug was administered. Once Agasa had risen to his feet he said as gently as he could

"Ai-kun, a first love is a terrible thing to lose but you cannot linger on these feelings you have. You must realize his fate and his love for Ran-kun were decided many years ago." Haibara wiped an almost invisible tear from the crease of her eye and turned to face her father figure. In an uncharacteristic gesture she stepped forward and bowed her head in front of him. On instinct alone Agasa crouched down and hugged the young girl with all the kindness and love he possessed. She wrapped her arms around him with no prodding and sunk her face deep into her shoulder. They stayed there for a few minutes and Haibara soaked his lab coat with a select few tears before they separated. Agasa shot her a paternal smile and she returned it graciously. As they exited the room she did not glance at Conan again, for she had no want or need to. There would be someone else for her, and for now just having a father was nice.

* * *

"Megure-keibu!" Takagi blurted out uncouthly as he barged into his office

"Takagi-kun?" he responded, caught off guard by his underling's unusually forward behavior

"Megure-keibu, I need to…request the day off" He was red faced as he said. He quickly averting his eyes from his boss who was bound to be irritated by the request

"That's difficult, especially after I gave Sato-kun the weekend off at your request. And you're supposed to be covering her shifts" Takagi put his hands up defensively and chuckled nervously

"Well you see, it's just I…" Takagi had spent ten minutes practicing his speech but now the whole plan was falling apart and he knew it. He had to salvage his request at any cost, even if it meant blatant honesty. He straightened up and solidified his countenance into a serious one as he stared his superior in the eyes

"Megure-keibu I plan to ask Sato-san to marry me and I want to do so right now!" his admission came out so fast and loud that Megure could hardly comprehend the words

"Calm down Takagi-kun"

"Sir I need to see Sato-san right now! If I don't ask her to marry me as soon as possible then-"

"Shiratori-kun will propose to Kobayashi-sensei first?" he asked rhetorically, rolling his eyes. Takagi gaped at the knowledge Megure had

"How did-"

"He just came in and asked me for the rest of the day off as well and gave me the same reasoning. I can only give you one hour, we're shorthanded and I can't to have you off all night" Takagi's face lit up and he raised his hand for a salute

"Hai! Arigato Megure-keibu!" and before Megure could respond Takagi was out the door. Megure watched from his office as Takagi bypassed the cubicles that lined the side of the office and promptly entered the elevator. A few seconds later Megure heard a series of curses and then saw Takagi re-enter the office via the stairs. With sweat already running down his brow he ran for his own cubicle, grabbed his key ring and ran back to the elevator. Megure could only smirk and shake his head at the hopelessness of the police officer.

* * *

As Sato arrived home from her errands she was feeling more bubbly than usual. She had two full bags of various vegetables and some dehydrated noodles. She had also purchased some Kobe beef on a whim. It was expensive 'but hey' she thought with a wide smile 'its okay to spend a lot every once in a while'. Once she had placed the bags on the counter in her kitchen she went back out to the living and turned on the television. She impatiently perused the channels until she found the one she desired: cooking network. She sat down on the couch with her hands clutched under her chin and watched the program in need of urgent assistance. She soon found they were cooking fish but many of the vegetables they were using were the same as hers. As she observed their movements she tried her best to commit them to memory in the hopes of emulating them. Soon she found herself in the kitchen unwrapping her ingredients and organizing them. She took a quick look at her watch before beginning her preparation

"1:32" she said with an air of determination "I have plenty of time before Takagi-kun calls me" she began to hum melodiously to herself as she diced up the carrots, onions and parsley. At the same time she had a large pot of water simmering on the stove. After allowing the water to reach a good temperature she placed her package of noodles in it and took to stirring and monitoring them. While she waiting the noodles to boil she reached over and grabbed the cow meat she had purchased and analyzed it 'Well, it stands to reason that this can be cooked the same way those men were cooking that fish'. So she began preparing it by doing as the chef's did and dousing it in lemon. She then drowned it in olive oil, wrapped it in aluminum foil and placed it in a glass pan. She set the oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit and put the meat in. She set the timer for fifteen minutes and went back to her noodles which were now almost boiling over. She swept the pan away from the stove and in a fit of fear poured the whole pot out into the sink. As her noodles fell down into the drain she slapped a hand violently onto her forehead. She reached for her house key and ran out the door to get more noodles, pushing everything else to the back of her mind.

* * *

Ran and Sonoko had decided to walk through the main streets of Beika, giving their friends the opportunity to be alone and discuss things. However as the walk went on Ran began to regret more and more choosing to walk alone with her best friend. Any other day would have been perfectly enjoyable but on this day, after having spent over an hour cleaning her alleged 'friend's house, Sonoko had a question or two that she demanded answers to and she had no problem screaming these questions at the top of her lungs to embarrass Ran into answering them

"Do you think that Kudo guy will propose when you go to dinner on Monday! Oh or do think he will just jump across the table and kiss you in front of everyone!" With every question Ran thought her face could not get any more red, and yet it continued to delve into brighter shades as they ventured on. With every query Ran would raise her voice and retort denials, even though Sonoko knew as well as she did that they were all lies. After ten or fifteen minutes of this back-and-forth, Sonoko finally had enough and changed her attitude to get her friend's attention. She went silent for a second before looking at her friend with genuine concern

"W-What?" Ran asked, shuddering slightly from the sudden change in the conversation's mood

"Ran, you've never answered me honestly. Even though I already know the answer I want to here you say it" Sonoko continued to stare at her friend

"Sonoko! What are you talking about I don't like Shinichi!" Ran fibbed unconvincingly

"That's too bad because I think he _loves_ you" Sonoko sneered as Ran almost passed out from shock and awe

"W-Why? I mean what would make you say that?" Now it was Sonoko's turn to lie

"Because he told me" Ran's eyes widened to a borderline unnatural extent

"When did he tell you this? Did he come back here and not tell me!" She was fuming mad despite the fact that she had been denying any accusations of her caring about him for the past fifteen minutes

"No No he told me over the phone. He called one night shortly before you went to England last month and told me that he wanted to tell you how he felt" she was trying her best sound sincere despite the fact that inwardly she chuckling to herself at the sight of her best friend's awestruck expression

"I never did talk to him about that…" she trailed off as the memory of her encounter with him at that time flooded her mind. She blushed faintly as she pictured his face, telling her he liked her. 'Telling me that he liked me…'

"So" Sonoko's voice broke Ran's trance "What do you think he'll say to you on Monday?" she asked, now visibly excited by the answer she was bound to receive.

"I…I don't know" Ran's voice was soft and stricken with remorse "I mean" Sonoko's countenance had quickly morphed into a much more sympathetic one "He's gone so much, if he did…feel that way wouldn't he want to be here?" For the first time since they had left Agasa's house, Sonoko had nothing to say, she was stunned speechless by her friend's state of melancholy and in that moment she hated Shinichi for what he was doing to her. After wiping away a few unintentional tears she looked up at her friend with a manufactured smile "but I guess I'll find out Monday" Sonoko couldn't even attempt to send Ran a smile back and just continued to walk somberly in silence beside her.

* * *

"Five more minutes" Takagi said aloud to himself, trying to calm his nerves as he drove toward his girlfriend's house. The car ride had given him some much needed time to actually practice what he was going to say. As he ran the words through his head, forming them into coherent phrases that could be used as an expression of his feelings he kept finding that the words didn't…work. Everything he tried didn't sound right; nothing seemed to be good enough. 'I love you is too simple. I could tell her how beautiful she is but then she'll think I only like her because of that. Augh!' he screamed internally out of frustration "Why is this so hard?" he roared aloud in his car, missing the exit off the freeway he needed to take. With a long winded sigh he sped down toward the next exit, essentially adding ten minutes to his commute. 'Great' he thought angrily 'now I'll only have a few minutes to do this before I have to go back to work'

* * *

Over the last ninety minutes Eri and Kogoro had enjoyed watching television and spoke little. They both knew full well that any conversation would most likely result in an argument which neither was in the mood for. So they just sat quietly watching a high school baseball game. Baseball had always been one of the few interests they had in common. Any genial conversation they'd had with one another in the past had revolved around one of three topics: their daughter, their jobs, or baseball. Aside from that they disagreed on virtually everything, which meant that they argued about virtually everything. But that was their dynamic as a couple and it continued to be so even after ten years of separation. As the game went to a commercial Eri decided it was time she and her husband actually conversed so she started the conversation the only way she knew how: by scolding him.

"So, now that you're on the police force are you going to be coming home late every night like you used to?" she asked with curved eyebrows and an angry scowl

"You know I have no control over when I have to work, if they need me I have to go" He rolled his eyes as he answered, having answered the same question from her a hundred times in the past

"Kogoro you're older now, you can't push yourself like that or you'll get sick" Kogoro grimaced at the word 'older' as it escaped her lips

"I'm not dead woman and I told you I have no control over it!" he raised his voice slightly to show his disdain for the topic of conversation

"Just think, soon Ran will be just like her mother: lying awake worried about her bonehead husband that can't be bothered to call and let her know he's alive" Kogoro's eyebrows curved to match hers as their faces drew closer and their fists began to clench

"Are you implying she's going to marry that little punk Kudo?" he snarled, having always been infuriated by the idea of her daughter marrying anyone, especially him

"Of course I am, don't be stupid" she made the idea seem more like an inevitability. He rose up from the couch they were on and turned away from her grumbling

"Over my dead body" as he continued to mutter threats to himself Eri rose and put a hand on his shoulder

"There are worse people she could be with" she said in a softer, more comforting voice. She could feel the tension in his shoulder ease at her words

"Maybe." He grunted shortly "But I still don't like it" Eri grinned and turned him around to face her

"Its not your choice" they both sighed as the realization set in. The mood in the room had become somber until they both heard a familiar voice coming from the television set

"And we're back with Tokyo High versus Kyoto High" they both turned around to face the screen. Without another word they both raced back to the couch and settled in. As the game continued Kogoro was pleasantly surprised by his wife as she let her head fall onto his shoulder. He looked over at her as she did this but she simply kept her eyes on the game. He smirked confidently and turned his attention back to the television as well

"What do you think, Tokyo or Kyoto?" Kogoro asked, already aware of who she would take

"Tokyo of course" she said lazily, placing most her focus on the game. With an evil grin Kogoro leaned his head over slightly toward his wife's and whispered

"There is no way in hell Tokyo is going to beat Kyoto" Eri quickly had her head up and was staring square into his eyes

"What?" she said as if he had deeply offended her

"You heard me, I even put money on Kyoto"

"You bet on this!"

"Of course I did, it's a sure thing"

"You seem to lose more money in gambling than you make so I wouldn't be too confident!" As the argument raged on a stunning truth was made evident: they literally argued over everything.

* * *

As Takagi finally made it to Sato's apartment complex he was almost sent into a cardiac arrest. At first sight of her apartment he noticed a thin blanket of smoke escaping from under her door. In a combination of fear and blind instinct Takagi ran up the stairs to her door and rammed it with his shoulder. The door was sturdy so it took another full force slam into it to break it open.

"Sato-san!" He yelled into the blackened room. He ran down what he hoped was the hallway to check her bedroom. Once he confirmed she wasn't in the apartment he quickly tried to locate the source of the fire. He scoured the small apartment vigorously until he finally found the epicenter of the billowing clouds of smoke: the oven. Without hesitation he opened the oven only to be enwrapped in a wall of black. He swung his hands furiously to bat away the waves of smoke until he had enough of a visual opening to actual see what was in the oven. He reached out and grabbed it firmly with both hands. After two seconds of holding it he let out a pain-filled shriek as the intense heat of the glass pan burned his hands. He dropped the searing item on the ground and ran out of the kitchen waving his hands violently to help the horrible agony in his hands subside.

* * *

After an astounding ten minutes Sato finally remembered that she had left the oven on with a hunk of beef in it. As she ran down the street toward her apartment she began to see a mass of smoke hovering over what she could only pray was not her residence. As she grew closer, however, it became abundantly clear that it was in fact hers. She picked up her pace making record time. When she finally reached her apartment she went bounding up the stairs until she saw a dejected Takagi sitting on the top of the staircase with each of his hands wrapped in a towel.

"Takagi-kun, what happened?" she asked frantically as she took into consideration the black smudges that claimed most of his exterior.

"I came to see you but when I got here there was smoke in your apartment. I went in to see what was burning. I found the smoke was coming from the oven so I reached in to grab whatever it was and it burned me" he sounded as if simply retelling the ridiculous story depressed him

"Well are you okay? Did you call the fire department?" he nodded and moved his eyes away from her. She saw he was troubled so she crouched down in front of him, bringing her to his eye level. When he turned to look at her be was bewhildered by her close proximity.

"S-Sato-san?" he questioned what she was doing but she just continued to look at him

"Why'd you come over here, Wataru?" he blushed even harder as a shaky hand reached down into his pant's pocket, revealing a velvet box which was blotched with a few spots of black soot. He wiped his faced, trying in vain to make himself presentable.

"Miwako, would you…" he stopped his request when he noticed she was crying. 'This isn't good' he thought 'Sato-san never cries'. Her face wasn't quite identifiable until she wiped her eyes and a desperate smile became evident. With newfound confidence his hands settled and he reclaimed control over his tongue "Sato Miwako would you marry me?" the second the last syllable of his question was uttered she pounced on him, pinning him to the ground in front of her door where a thinner cloud of smoke was still lingering. She kissed him passionately as he removed the ring from its holster. It took him a few tries to place the ring on her finger with her lips pressed to his and his hands wrapped and burned, but he eventually managed to complete the maneuver. As the fire engines pulled up, sirens blaring loudly and smoke still pouring out of the building, Sato and Takagi lied on the cool concrete of her doorstep, happily deaf to their surroundings and blissfully apathetic toward everything else that was happening.

* * *

**Corny? Yeah, big whoop wanna fight about it?**

**This day 15 of me posting on a daily basis, which i must say isn't too shabby. My goal is to get through the whole month but I know that's a stretch so we'll see. For now, keep reading, next chapter we got a girl's night and Shinichi's awakening hell we might even get Kaito involved. Stay tuned to find out**


	16. Rise and Shine

When Ran and Sonoko arrived back at the Mouri Detective Agency they were surprised to find that Kazuha and Heiji had not arrived yet. Based on the routes they had taken they should have arrived at least ten minutes before Ran and Sonoko and yet they were no where to be found. Ran decided against calling and asking where they were due to the nature of their secluded walk. They were having a very intimate conversation and far be it for her to interrupt. So Ran and Sonoko waited patiently for their friend to return and regale them about her romantic stroll with her beloved Heiji. However when 5:30 rolled around they began to worry. It'd been over three hours since they left Agasa's and they still had no word from either of them. Ran finally decided it was time to call her friend and ask about her whereabouts. However, after two consecutive phone calls to Kazuha and one to Heiji all she was hearing were answering machines. The situation was becoming more suspicious by the minute and Ran finally gave in and consulted her father

"Otosan we're worried about Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan" Ran whimpered while Sonoko nodded behind her. Kogoro pulled his feet of his desk and look at his daughter with a serious expression

"When was the last time you saw them?"

"Over three hours ago. They're not answering their phones either" Kogoro placed a hand on his chin and began to ponder the situation. Silence fell on the room until Eri's voice came echoing from the other room

"What's this?" she asked having noticed the fear in her daughter's eyes

"Okasan we think something might have happened to Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan!" she yelped helplessly as she ran over and stood before her mother

"Well when wa-"

"Three hours ago and they aren't answering their phones" Ran spat out, cutting her mother off in the process

"Have you contacted the police?" Ran put a hand to her mouth in astonishment at the implications of the question

"Stop over-reacting they're probably just distracted with something and regardless they'd have to be missing for 24 hours before the police would look into it" Kogoro was brutish and rude about his deduction which caused his wife to pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head

"As stupid as that man is, he is right. There isn't much we can do right now unless you'd like to go out and search on foot" Eri said sarcastically. Oblivious to her mother's joke Ran grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out the door. They were followed closely by Sonoko but Kogoro simply grunted and put his feet back up on the desk.

* * *

As he awoke, Shinichi could already feel the soreness all over his body. He could hardly bring himself to sit up in bed do to the tremendous tension in his back and midsection. For sake of confirmation, however, he endured the pain and lifted himself into an upright sitting position and ran a hand along his currently unclothed stomach and felt the muscular build that years of soccer had graced him with. He fell back onto his pillow and let out a huge sigh of relief. He smiled wider than he had in long while and tried valiantly to move his body around and enjoy his newly rediscovered limbs. He let out a groan as he waved his left arm up and down, reveling in its length and width. It was really his arm and it amused him that he was so excited about it 'I never thought I would be so excited to see my own arm'. When he turned his attention to the right arm he saw the I.V that was still inserted in it and he remembered the people in the house waiting for him to wake up. He first considered walking out and surprising them but upon recollection he realized that it was not a promising idea. Instead he decided to gain their attention the only way he could think of

"Heey!" he screamed at his peak volume, enjoying the more masculine sound of his own voice. He smirked as Agasa and Haibara came bolting into the room, faces painted with shock and fear at his ear shattering outburst

"Shinichi!/Kudo-kun!" Agasa and Haibara yelled in horror as they imagined what could be wrong. Shinichi just grinned at them, earning him a relieved smile from Agasa and a spiteful scowl from Haibara

"How are you feeling Shinichi?" Agasa asked as he carefully removed the I.V from his arm

"I feel great! A little sore, but I've never felt better" he was beaming ecstatically, so much so that even Haibara was warmed by his sheer joy

"It seems the antidote was a success. Now what, Kudo-kun?" she asked, already completely aware of his answer

"Well first I have to get out of this bed" he gritted his teeth and began to remove the covers from his body but was quickly stopped by Agasa

"What do you think you're doing? Your body can't handle this right now, you need more rest" Shinichi rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to argue but was abruptly cut off by Haibara

"He's right. If you overexert yourself you might injure yourself. In addition the antidote may still be fighting of APTX antibodies and therefore any infection or exposure to harmful bacteria could alter or even nullify its effect." Shinichi slumped down into the bed and crossed his arms childishly

"Its not fair, I'm in my body to stay for the first time in over a year and I'm stuck in this bed" he was visibly annoyed by the turn of events until a subtle smile crept onto his face. Agasa and Haibara looked at one another, puzzled by his silent mood change

"Hakase, can you get my phone for me?" he asked with an unmistakable air of excitement. Agasa left the room for only a few seconds before he returned with two identical phones

"Which one?" he asked with a confused expression

"Well considering I'm no longer a child I'll take mine" he said with a small degree of irritation in his voice. Agasa realized almost immediately why Shinichi hadn't appreciated the question and gave him an apologetic glance as he handed him the phone "It's alright Hakase, I'm not angry I just want to forget about all of that, at least for a while" Agasa nodded and gestured for Haibara to leave the room with him. She consented to his silent request and followed him out the door. Once they had vacated, Shinichi stared with soft eyes at the phone 'Finally, Ran, I can talk to you with my own voice. I've waited so long for this and I know you have too' with that thought in mind he dialed the number that he called so many times as Conan

* * *

Takagi had said almost nothing since he arrived back at the police department. He had been going about his business as he usually did but with a little more cheery demeanor than usual. This sort of outlandish behavior did not sit well with his jealous coworkers and they quickly went to none other than the former Chief Executive of Sato Miwako's Line of Defense Shiratori Ninzaburo for answers

"Shirtatori, what's up with Takagi?" a generic police officer asked as a representative for the other twenty officers that wanted to here the question answered. Shiratori was not surprised by the mass of men huddled around his desk. He couldn't help but laugh to himself as he pictured their reactions to the response he was about to give them and what they would do to that unfortunate young officer that stole their mutual office crush

"He and Sato-san are engaged" he stated nonchalantly, continuing to write something down as he said it.

"What?" they all bellowed out in unison, erupting into a hurricane of curses and other angry comments and insults

"Well, assuming she said 'yes' " he finished with a knowing grin, communicating quite clearly that there was absolutely no chance she would say no. As if a national tragedy had occurred the hoard of bachelors ducked their heads down and sulked as they all returned to their respective cubicles. As he watched the dejected men scuttle away, Shiratori decided to take a moment and congratulate his colleague. As he approached he noticed Takagi's eyes were closed and his head was being cradled by his hands which were resting under his chin. Shiratori saw this as an excellent opportunity to amuse himself and, after taking a moment to gather a serious expression, slammed his hand down on Takagi's desk. Takagi's was abruptly reintroduced to the world and stood up to address his superior

"H-Hai!" he said, throwing his hand to his forehead in a salute

"Takagi, were you sleeping during your shift?" Shiratori asked, trying to maintain a serious countenance even though internally he was laughing hysterically at his subordinate's skittishness

"Uh hai…" he mumbled, ashamed of his conduct. Just as he thought Shiratori was about to lecture him or even punish him, he began to chuckle quietly to himself. As his laughter grew louder and more uninhibited he brought a hand up to his mouth to cover it. Takagi gave Shiratori a confused look until the realization that he had been joking dawned on him. He sighed and put his head down in shame as his superior finally quelled his own laughter

"Sorry about that Takagi" he said, still trying to catch his breath "I just came to see how your 'lunch' with Sato-san went" Takagi blushed at the implication that Shiratori made abundantly clear

"She said…" he hesitated with the critical word which worried Shiratori momentarily "yes." Shiratori gave his fellow officer a genial pat on the shoulder to congratulate him. Takagi beamed at the attention and thanked him

"So what about you and Kobayashi-sensei?" Takagi asked with a devilish smirk which, to Takagi's dismay, hardly fazed Shiratori. In a stroke of confidence he reached into his pocket and revealed a crimson velvet box definitely designated for a ring. Takagi looked at his coworker mystified by the item "But I tho-" Takagi began to question the box until Shiratori opened it to reveal it was empty. Takagi bit his tongue and looked back and forth between his friend and the barren holster

"Looks like this day will remain in both of our memories" he said as he closed the box and placed it back in his pocket. Takagi grinned at the notion

"I guess so. Congratulations"

"To you as well"

* * *

Ran walked along the main streets of her home city with her mother and best friend screaming the names of her two friends from Osaka at the top of her lungs. While she did this her mother walked behind her and silently contemplated possible places to look while Sonoko yelled for Heiji and Kazuha as well, though not quite as loudly as Ran. As they rounded a corner Eri tapped her daughter on the shoulder to gain her attention. Ran turned back to her mother after giving one more particularly forceful scream into the evening streets

"Ran, you know that if they have been…" Eri gazed at her daughter with compassion as she considered her next words "kidnapped" she finished her sentence and waited to observe Ran's reaction before continuing. Ran's eyes widened in fear but she motioned for her mother to make her point. Eri took a deep breath and went on "then this sort of search won't do us much good. We need to contact the police and see if they can do some sort of investigation. Or at least get your father to come help" Ran nodded and took a step to go back toward the Detective Agency but she was stopped in her tracks by the sound of her cell phone buzzing in her pocket. When she reached in and grabbed it she was pleasantly surprised by the name she read on caller I.D

"Shincihi!" she shrieked happily "Uh-huh…really? That's great so you're really coming back early? Are you here now? Great! We need your help, Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan have been gone for a while and their not answering their phones….Uh-huh…we can't, the police won't help until after 24 hours…hai…okay bye" She hung up the phone and blushed faintly, which did not go unnoticed by the other female's present

"So Ran, what did your husband want?" Sonoko asked teasingly

"He said he's came home early and that he'll help us find Hattori-kun and Kazuha" Sonoko cheered while Eri remained unaffected. She crossed her arms and stared at her daughter, which thoroughly startled Ran

"Okasan…" she mumbled disapprovingly as Eri continued to stare

"You rely far too much on that boy" she said coldly

"I…I trust him" Eri was taken back by her daughter's innocence and her genuine faith and gave her an almost invisible grin

"Shouldn't we get back to the apartment?" Sonoko said, interrupting the side conversation between Eri and Ran

"Oh yeah, that's where I told Shinichi to meet us" With joint agreement the three women turned and made there way back to the Detective Agency as the sun gradually set

* * *

"You can't be serious" Haibara said in an arctic tone

"This is not a good idea Shinichi" Agasa added with an air of concern

"Look I'm not going to push myself, I'm just going to see what the situation is. This could be serious, she said they haven't seen Hattori or Kazuha in almost four hours and they don't know this area very well" Haibara sighed heavily and turned away from Shinichi

"I still don't thin your body can ha-"

"We'll have to go with you" Haibara concluded plainly, cutting off Agasa's argument in the process. Agasa and Shinichi were both preplexed by her suggestion

"But what if this turns out to be a kidnapping? Its happened before and if that's the case I don't want you guys mixed up in it" Haibara turned back to face him and crossed her arms in front of her chest

"We will need to monitor your health to assure there are no unforeseen side-effects with the cure" Her logic was sound and Shinichi had no grounds to object so he nodded compliantly. Agasa was still unconvinced and turned to Haibara for reassurance

"Ai-kun are you sure he will be okay?" he inquired with paternal caution

"He has been through a lot" she said as she looked over at Shinichi "I believe he can handle this" Shinichi showed his gratitude for her confidence with a showing of his signature smug grin

"Well I should go over to my house and get some clothes" Shinichi said as he stood to up to exit the room, He winced at the pain as he stood up but calmed once he was on his feet

"I already brought some of your clothes over" Agasa said, rushing out of the room to fetch the aforementioned outfit. In a matter of seconds he was back with a pair of black slacks, a dark blue dress shirt and an off white suit top.

"Hakase I need shoes and socks too"

"Don't worry they're in the other room. Get dressed and we'll leave" with that Agasa and Haibara left the room

* * *

When she opened her eyes, Kazuha saw no more than she had when they were closed. It was pitch black and she was sitting on cold concrete. Her instincts to move or analyze her surroundings were trumped by her first impulse: to locate Heiji

"H-Heiji?" Kazuha whispered, afraid and concerned for her childhood friend

"I'm here" his voice cut clearly through the darkness, soothing her significantly. She reached out to find him only to have her arm stopped in midair by a restraint she couldn't see. It felt rough on her wrists, like rope. She followed the rope down to the ground where she felt a large metal ring which was attached to the ground. She began to tremble as the reality of the situation crashed down on her

"Heiji, where are we?" she asked with a shaky voice, terror evident in it

"I don't know Kazuha..." his voice trailed with uncertainty as he scooted closer to the place where her voice was emanating from. He could hear her breathing as he drew closer. He continued to move his lower body closer to her even as the rope around his wrists prevented him from moving his top half. She could hear his feet rustling against the concrete floor and pushed hers out to meet his. Soon the found each other and each let out a sigh of relief. Just to affirm the other's presence was comforting in and of itself.

"Heiji I'm scared what's going on?" she solicited with growing anxiety

"I don't know but we have to stay calm and figure this out. Don't worry, we'll be alright" despite his owns uneasiness about their predicament he found it best to place her state of mind as a top priority. He was thankful that they were at least close enough to touch, even if it was only their feet. He could only hope that it was as comforting for her as it was for him


	17. Getting Ready

Since her _fiancé _had left her apartment, Sato hadn't been able to do much of anything. Her mind had been wholly consumed by the concept of marriage and her ear had been wholly consumed by the sound of her mother's shrieking

**~Flashback~**

"I have to go back, but I'll come see you later" Takagi said as he entered his car. Sato had walked with him to his car in silence. The silence wasn't due to discomfort but more because after what had already taken place, there wasn't really anything else to say. As his car pulled away she couldn't help but admire the silver engagement ring on her finger. It had a modestly sized emerald on it encircled by small, rounded diamonds. Her blissful mindset was momentarily disrupted when she turned to see her apartment which was currently still engulfed in smoke. There were firemen clad in highlighter yellow suits running in and out and she came to the conclusion that she would need somewhere to go for the time being. Against her better judgment she pulled out her phone and called her mother

"Moshi moshi?"

"Okasan?" Sato said shyly into the phone

"Miwako! Why don't you ever call me anymore?" her mother screamed back, virtually blowing out Sato's eardrums

"Okasan, my house is…" she looked back her apartment again before finishing "undergoing renovations. Can I come see you?"

"Well of course, I can show you this new man I found for you, he's perfect. He's young, dark-skinned and he's a lawyer! How about it?" her mother drabbled on excitedly, ignoring her daughter's attempts to get her attention

"Okasan…" she considered carefully what she was about to say "I have some big news, I'll tell you when I get there, bye!" Sato quickly hung up before her mother could question her any further. Sato patted her sides and exhaled in relief when she felt her key ring in her pocket. She walked over to her car and pulled away, leaving behind the ash enshrouded scene that was her apartment.

When she got to her mother's house, it took only a single knock before the door was thrown open

"Miwako!" she cheered as she wrapped her arms around her daughter "Oh come on I must show you this one. His name is Takahashi Kenichi and he's very wealthy and handsome and you-"

"I'm engaged Okasan" Sato butted in, effectively silencing her mother. In response she received a dumbfounded look

"To who? What's his name? Have I met him?" She asked obliviously

"Yes Okasan his name is Takagi Wataru, he's my partner don't you remember? We've been dating for some time now" her mother's eyes grew wide as the final words fell out of her mouth

"You're marrying an officer?"

"Yes I am" Sato declared proudly even though the idea of marrying Takagi still mad her blush. Her mother seemed disturbed by the prospect for a moment before calming down and giving her daughter a bright smile

"Well at least you're getting married; you've been unwed far too long. We have arrangements to discuss come on" her mother said hurriedly as she grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

**~End Flashback~**

It had been over four hours since then and Sato had finally reached her limit. She had never been all that feminine, and as such talking about flowers and decorations for hours on end was driving her insane. She wanted to plan a perfect wedding, but she could only take so much. As her mother continued to yammer on about various specificities, Sato stood up from her seat on the couch and stared her mother in the eyes

"Okasan, we need to get out of here" she said blatantly. Her mother hesitated before standing up and smiling at her

"Well, I suppose we have been at this for some time. How about we go out to eat?" Sato nodded and they walked out of the house. As they entered the car Sato started it but remained parked

"So where are we going?" Sato asked, not concerned with the food quality so much as the quantity

"I know exactly where to go, it's a café no more than ten minutes from here" Sato nodded in acceptance and pulled the car out of its spot and drove off

* * *

"Oi Ran, why did you call that wannabe Kudo anyway? You have me after all" All the women present rolled their eyes at him, which only served to frustrate him "Don't mock me woman!" Kogoro roared, obviously addressing Eri

"Well, he is quite talented and I've noticed you've already had two drinks today. Who's to say you are any better than him at the moment?" Her tone was cold and her eyes were conniving, whereas his tone was fiery and his eyes were dilated in anger

"Are you actually comparing me, the great Mouri Kogoro, to that punk kid!" He screamed as he rose from behind his desk, to which his wife simply smirked

"So what if I am?" she muttered in a hushed voice which she knew he heard. Kogoro growled to himself before finally letting out a very audible grunt

"I need another beer" he said as he marched toward the kitchen

"By all means, have another beer that will certainly help your reasoning skills" Kogoro stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Eri. Her expression hadn't changed; she was still boasting a cocky sneer which made his blood boil

"Don't play head games with me!" he yelled back at her. She seemed to flinch at his volume but quickly regained her countenance and rose to her feet. She stared him dead in the eyes as she approached him. The room was silent except for the Kogoro's rapid breathing which had gradually slowed down as she walked toward him. Sonoko and Ran were completely still, terrified to even budge. Eri finally stopped within a few inches of him and raised herself up to his ear so she could whisper to him. Then she said what might have the most earth-shattering truth he'd ever heard in his life

"You were better than him before you started drinking heavily." His eyes grew large at the truth he had suppressed since the day he first heard Shinichi make a deduction for the police. And to hear it from his wife no less made it all the more traumatizing. She backed away from his ear and locked eyes with him for a second before turning around and starting to walk back towards the two teenage girls who were timid as house mice.

"Okasan, what did you say to him" Eri looked down at her daughter who was still sitting on the couch next to her friend

"Nothing important"

* * *

"Ai-kun are you cold?" Agasa asked, noticing the subtle shivering of the little girl next to him

"No I'm fine. Besides we're almost there" Agasa, Ai and Shinichi had decided against driving for lack of a place to park the Beetle once they arrived. They had been walking for around twenty minutes and the Detective Agency was coming into view. The sun had only recently set behind the mountain ranges in the distance which made the temperature drop noticeably. Shinichi and Ai had elected not to wear jackets while Agasa had thrown on a thick pull over sweater.

"So Shinichi" Agasa said with an overly amused grin on his face "What do you plan to tell Ran-kun when we get there?" He received the slight blush from Shinichi that he had been expecting

"What are you talking about!" he yelled, instinctively responding to the question in denial

"It's a reasonable question" Haibara said, still facing forward. She turned and gave him a knowing grin "Kudo-kun". Shinichi tried his hardest to cling to his transparent denial

"I don't know what you're talking about" he mumbled, turning his head away from the other two

"Well we're here so I hope you're sure about that" Ai said using a cold demeanor to hide her inward amusement at the situation. Shinichi looked at the flight of stairs ominously, trying not to psyche himself 'We're here to find Hattori and Kazuha, remember. I can always talk to Ran later. Although the last time I said I could talk to her later I didn't get that chance.' As he carried on battling his thoughts and emotions he felt an aggressive pinch on forearm. When he looked down Haibara was looking forward, not really acknowledging his presence

"Was that-"

"Shinichi are you going to go up the stairs or just stare at them?" Agasa asked from behind him. He shook his head and took the first step up the stairs. Before he knew it they were at the door and Agasa had already knocked. Shinichi was sweating profusely, although for once this onset of perspiration had nothing to due with changing back into a child. He was simply nervous. He felt a small degree of relief at this thought. Unfortunately his reprieve was abruptly ended by the presence of none other than Sonoko in the doorway

"Oh Ran your knight is here to whisk you away!" she teased as she moved aside, revealing Ai, Agasa and Shinichi in the doorway. Agasa and Ai walked in first, leaving Shinichi to stand alone and stare at the girl he had been infatuated with since he was hardly old enough to know what such emotions signified. Her sentiments were similar as she took no visible action toward breaking their gaze. Shinichi swallowed hard and took a step in, closing the door behind him. The sound of the door shutting apparently snapped Ran out of her daze because she practically jumped to her feet

"Good you're here. Now, let me explain the situation" Eri started authoritatively, breaking the tense silence that had developed between Ran and Shinichi

"No need, Ran already explained enough. I believe it would be best if we started here and worked our way back toward Hakase's house. That way if there are any clues as to their whereabouts we can find them before they're lost" After receiving a mutual nod of approval the group began to exit the apartment. Ran moved to the back of the group, noticing Shinichi had done the same. Once the apartment was vacated Ran moved to exit but was startled when Shinichi slammed the door in front of her. He took his position, standing between her and the door and addressed her

"Ran hold on" Ran remained silent and continued to focus on his eyes. The intensity in his eyes made her heart flutter and her blood rush.

"Listen, before we leave I want you to know something"

"Relax I know" Shinichi gave her a befuddled look as she walked over to her father's desk and pulled something out of the bottom drawer "You needed a flashlight right?" Shinichi was stiff as she walked over and handed it to him. He accepted with no particular expression "Your not even going to thank me?" Ran asked him sarcastically

"Oh no it's just that, well, I was going to say something else" Ran looked at him surprised

"Oh okay, what is it?" she asked seemingly oblivious to his intentions. He took a step forward and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. She blushed and moved her head to side to hide her embarrassment at there proximity. He gently took a hand and moved her head to face his again

"Shinichi…" was all she could enunciate

"That day, do you remember? When we were in London?" She nodded, still unable to produce a verbal response

"Well..what I said, I mean…when I told that I-" he was cut off by the sound of Kogoro's fist of fury slamming on the door

"Oi get out here what do you think this is?" he roared at the door. Eri could only pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head at her husband's embarrassing outburst. Shinichi hesitated, unsure of what to do until Ran answered his question for him

"He's right, we should go look for them right now" she said as she moved past him toward the door. Shinichi was frozen in place, still trying to process the events that had just transpired. He felt a warm hand graze his neck which made the skin tingle. He turned around and Ran withdrew it and gave him a reassuring smile "You can finish what you were saying later". Shinichi returned her smile and followed her out the door. As they ascended the flight of stairs Shinichi couldn't help but watch as her hair swayed to and fro in the gentle breeze of the night. When they both reached the large group he walked out in front next to Ran and Sonoko. Behind them were Eri and Kogoro and behind them were Agasa and Ai. As the caravan reached the first street corner Shinichi turned to Ran

"Okay which way do you think they went?" Ran placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully

"Well, when we walked to school I usually took this street to get to your house" she stated, pointing down the street to their right

"Then that's where we'll go" Though the gesture may have seemed insignificant to others, the amount of confidence Shinichi had in her opinion truly made Ran warm inside. As they turned there was a sudden jump in her step which did not go unnoticed by her best friend

"So Ran how does it feel to have the love of your life here with you?" Sonoko asked with a raised eyebrow and an insinuating grin. Luckily Shinichi had walked ahead to scan the ground for clues.

"Sonoko!" Ran screamed with flushed cheeks, which only encouraged Sonoko to continue

"You should go up their and give him a passionate kiss and declare your undying love for him!" Sonoko yelled this just loudly enough to be detected by Kogoro

"Like hell you will! I'll kill that little punk brat!"

"Pipe down!" Sonoko shot back at Kogoro then turned back to Ran

"Come on, do it! He'll love it!" By this point Ran's face was comparable to the dot in the center of their nation's flag and yet surprisingly she didn't object. In fact quite the opposite, she actually began to think very intently about something. As the group marched on down the streets of Beika Ran found herself staring at her crush and seriously contemplating taking some initiative

**Total filler and I love it! It wouldn't be Detective Conan without some filler would it? **


	18. Initiative

As they observed their surroundings Heiji and Kazuha came to the mutual conclusion that they had to be in some sort of warehouse. They based this belief mostly on the fact that it was frigid and that the ground felt like it was concrete. The conditions had begun to seriously effect Kazuha as time went on, seeing as she was wearing a white shirt with a thin green pull over sweater and a pair of form fitting jeans. She had been shivering since the moment see was roused back to consciousness. As much as Heiji wanted to ignore her and focus on escaping from wherever they were he couldn't help but look back in her direction every time he heard her let out a shaky gasp. Heiji had struggled valiantly with the rope that was bound to his wrist but to no avail which only further unnerved him. It wasn't as if he and Kazuha had never been held captive before, but last time he could at least feel her behind him. Now the only way he could even confirm her presence was by the use of his feet. He had done his best to remind her he was there as often as was necessary while he simultaneously observed his surroundings as best he could in the darkness. He had only felt more empty space as he stretched out in every direction until his foot came upon a distinct texture on the cold ground

"Hay!" he broke the silence of their confinement with a seemingly obscure exclamation

"Huh?" Kazuha questioned with her raised eyebrow of suspicion invisible to him in their shadowy surroundings

"There's hay here, I feel it. We must be in a barn. But where…" he drifted off into contemplation as Kazuha clutched her chest in fearful anticipation, hoping the discovery could help their situation. After only a mere thirty seconds of silence Kazuha lost her nerve

"Heiji what does that mean?" she blurted out against her own will

"I don't know. Dammit! I wish I knew this district better, then I might have an idea where we are" he scolded himself for his lack of knowledge

"Aho! Its not as if you could have seen this coming so don't blame yourself" Kazuha struggled to maintain her usual demeanor as she tried to comfort her friend

"I should have been paying more attention. I let myself get distracted and now we're like this, again" he continued to scrutinize his own conduct until he once again felt the only touch of humanity that residing in their desolate holding cell. Her foot, despite its trembling had managed to snake its way over to his and hook around it. The contact alone calmed him down but at the same only further reminded him of his predicament

"We'll be okay Heiji" Kazuha whispered comfortingly. She felt his foot move away from hers and inside she screamed furiously

"As long as you're around me you're going to keep getting put in situations like this. It's dangerous for you to be near me" his words cut through the space between them and pierced her thoughts with agonizing precision

"Aho! You didn't force me to come with, I just…" she trailed off, realizing where her banter was heading. Heiji remained silent, hardly even breathing in the seconds following her words. Finally she heard him shift ever so slightly in her direction

"Kazuha…" he breathed almost inaudibly, hardly even registering as a word to her. Nevertheless she understood his intention and knew he was urging her to continue

"I like going places with you. I like being with you when you solve cases and when…you smile like that" Heiji leaned in as closely as he could because her volume had gradually decreased as she spoke

"What's that supposed to m-"

"It's that smile. That cocky, arrogant over-confident smirk you get whenever you solve a case. It's so stupid but…I like it…" The warmth she felt on her face as she flushed at her own words was the most she had felt in the span of time they been imprisoned. Heiji was completely frozen, however, even despite sharing in Kazuha's all-consuming blush. In the day he had seen her and he did something that finally put his feelings for her out in the open. She had confronted him about it and he had answered her indirectly. They had walked and talked(talked meaning they each said a dozen words aside from that walked in complete awkward silence) but before he could actually say what he wanted to everything had gone black. Now here they were in what was most likely a horse stable and she had taken the initiative and thrown the ball into his court.

After a moment of considering the possible options he had for a response it was down to two possibilities: he could be direct and honest or he could pretend to be angry as he usually did. He meditated on his choices which left Kazuha in a terribly painful silence which was working to slowly kill her. Finally after less than a minute of internal debating he made his move

"Aho!"

* * *

"Ran…" Sonoko said, showing signs of concern for her friend who had been stuck in la-la land since she had mentioned giving her 'husband' a 'passionate kiss'. Obviously she had only meant to tease her but it was becoming abundantly clear that Ran had taken the comment to heart. Sonoko gave her friend a tap on the shoulder which finally awakened her from the mental stupor she had been in

"Huh?" her head spun around and brought her face to face with Sonoko, who out of genuine curiosity had allowed a mischievous grin to creep onto her face

"So" she started as she raised an inquisitive eyebrow "what are you thinking about hmm?" Her tone teased Ran who knew full well that Sonoko knew exactly what she was thinking about

"N-Nothing!" Ran squealed in embarrassment at her friend's completely correct insinuation. Sonoko continued to smirk as she pulled Ran's ear to her mouth and whispered something to her. Ran did not blush as much as she would have in the past at her friend's comment. Instead she nodded and began to once again consider the things Sonoko had said. After only a few seconds Ran took a deep breath and picked up her walking pace to catch up with Shinichi. As she pulled away from the large group behind her Kogoro shot forward and began walking in stride with Sonoko

"Oi" Kogoro said with rage obviously boiling underneath the surface "what did you say to her just now?" Sonoko giggled to herself as she pictured Kogoro running after Shinichi with intent to kill.

"Well if you must know I said-"

"Sonoko!" Eri's voice burst forth from behind her

"Eh?" Sonoko questioned in unison with Kogoro, both of whom were equally dumbfounded by the interjection

"Come now tell me, how is school for you? Are you doing well?" Eri smiled falsely at her as she sped up and came between Kogoro and Sonoko

"Eri, what are you doing?" Kogoro solicited flatly. Eri turned to her husband and gave him an obviously manufactured smile

"What, nothing! I'm just asking her about school, she is a classmate of Ran's after all" Eri couldn't help but chuckle nervously to herself, drawing stares from everyone present, including Haibara and Agasa who had been chatting quietly throughout the search about various chemical compositions and combustible substances.

"Uh…well its okay I guess. I mean aside from this guy that keeps…" While Eri continued to nod and pretend to listen to Sonoko's seemingly endless drabble about the various social niches of Teitan High School, her attention was secretly focused on her daughter who had just caught up to the boy she had grown to love

* * *

"Shinichi" Ran beckoned for his attention from his left. He abruptly turned to face her

"Hey, what's up?" he asked genially while still scanning the ground in front of him for any signs of their friends' whereabouts

"Nothing I just…wanted to talk to you" Shinichi quickly shot his head up and turned toward her, face thoroughly reddened

"Oh r-really…" he sputtered out with almost painful awkwardness

"Yeah, I wanted to know something" she started while trying to control her own breathing. She had always thought he would be the one stuttering nervously while he tried to admit his feelings for her. But she had waited far too long for that and her patience had worn thin. If she wanted an answer to this question, she was going to have to pry it out of him

"Oh well what is it?" he posed the question while managing to retain at least a degree of his usually calm demeanor. However the façade was starting to break down and he felt as if he was ready to blow

"Oh well I was just wondering uh…" Ran faltered in her determination momentarily. The words were hard to verbalize, even though he had already said he liked her back in London. She couldn't help but glisten nervously as Shinichi stared at her with his increasingly curious eyes. Those eyes had always bore holes in her. It only took a glance to send shivers down her spine and even now, while they were supposed to be hard at work trying to locate their friends she still couldn't her eyes or thoughts off of him

"Ran?" Shinichi interposed delicately, trying not to startle her

"Huh?" she shook her head, unsure of how her thoughts had gotten away from her control so easily

"You were about to ask me something and then you stopped and it looked like you were thinking about something. You looked really funny" he ended lightly, laughing subtly to himself

"Baka!" she yelled out, feigning rage

"So, what was it you were saying?" Shinichi asked, quickly dissipating her alleged anger

"Oh that, well I was just going to ask what you were talking about, you know, before we left the apartment…" once again their eyes separated and Ran looked down at her feet while he begun to analyze the buildings that were passing by on his right. Ran knew Shinichi had always been a control freak, and so for him it was probably torture to be under the gun like he was. Nonetheless it was too late to take it back and now all she could do was wait for his response

* * *

Kazuha could feel a spiteful tear rolling down her cheek. For all the insensitivity and density of her childhood friend she never thought he really could be quite that heartless. She had just essentially admitted the feelings she'd kept locked away for years and the only thing you could come up with as a response was 'Aho'. Despite the anger she felt inside all she could mutter was a frail and sorrowful

"Heiji…" When Heiji heard his name and the way it was said he quickly continued what he was going to say

"You don't understand how annoying it is to always have you around" Now Kazuha was full blown crying. Once again, as he had countless times in the past, Heiji displayed horrid word choice.

"Well I'm sorry for bothering you!" she screamed at him, hiccupping as she sobbed

"No no don't cry Kazuha please don't cry I hate it when you cry" he pleaded in a much softer voice than he had been using prior. He heard her sniffle and catch her breath "Good, now can I finish what I was saying?" He asked, trying to sound annoyed by her interruption. Kazuha felt a twinge of hope deep inside her at the thought what else he had to say

"Mhm" she muttered, still breathing erratically and sniffling

"It's annoying to have you with me all the time because I have to worry about you. If you ever got hurt because of me I would never forgive myself" His tone was deathly serious now. Though he couldn't see her face, he deduced by the speed of her breathing and her lack of movement that he had shocked her. He awaited her response timidly but received only silence for what seemed like an eternity

"Heiji" he heard her voice pierce the darkness. He mentally jumped at attention and looked in the direction of her voice "What does that mean?" her question was viable and simple and yet the answer had the potential to destroy them both. While Heiji had never been one to silence his thoughts or keep silent at all, Kazuha's query had shoved a proverbial sock in his mouth.

While silence reigned in their dark prison, Kazuha waited on pins and needles for an answer to the question she had put all her heart into. The thought of him rejecting her made her eyes water and her heart sink. No matter how many people tried to tell her otherwise, she had always thought she wasn't good enough for him. As if he would be settling if he chose her. All these doubts were swiftly and wholly silenced when his voice once again permeated the darkness around them

"It means I care about you…more than other people. You mean more to me than anyone else. It's been that way for a long time I just never really understood why until a few days ago…" Once again Heiji heard her cry. 'Idiot!' he thought angrily to himself 'She cries no matter what I say! Maybe I should just stop talking!' Kazuha couldn't help but cry. The combination of emotions was too much for her to handle; joy, shock, love and relief all swirled within her. She could hardly conceptualize a response which unfortunately for Heiji's nerves meant that she was just crying. Before he could try to calm her down the flick of a switch echoed throughout the structure they were being housed in and what seemed like a thousand fluorescent lights illuminated the room.

* * *

An ear-piercing ring jarred Okiya, who had been reading one of the many novels housed in the Kudo library. He reached for the phone which was lying on the desk and pressed it to his ear without removing his eyes from the book.

"What is it?" Okiya demanded coldly, seemingly annoyed by the caller's intrusion

"We have the two you asked for" Okiya smirked at the confirmation

"Good. I'll be there in forty-five minutes. Remember, keep an eye on that Osakan boy, he's intelligent beyond his years"

"Right"

"Oh, and did you remember to leave that item at the scene?" He asked, obviously pleased with the item he had in mind

"I did. He will definitely find it"

"Good"

"Is there anything else?"

"No" With a quick grunt the man on the other line young up as did Okiya. He placed the phone down and continued reading. After finishing the page he had been working on he placed a strip of paper in the crease of the book and set it down on the desk. He brushed his hands down his chest, trying to rid himself of any dust that might be there. He walked briskly out of the library and through the front door of the house. When he reached his car he chuckled to himself 'Well detective, if you're worth half of what they say you are I should be seeing you soon'

* * *

Shinichi was on his heels as Ran pressed the issue about his claims just a short time earlier. He had been so close to telling her how he really felt, but for some reason he couldn't summon the courage to do it again. Thankfully, just as he thought Ran was about to stare him to death with those huge, blue, longing eyes that he loved and feared so much, he noticed something distinct on the sidewalk.

"Ran that's-"

"An omamori!" Ran shouted out, diving toward the ground to retrieve it as if it would run away otherwise. She held it tightly in her hands

"Ran, open it. We need to know who's it is" Ran nodded at him and gently released her grip on the charm and opened it. She pulled out a picture which revealed a flattering image of Heiji in his Kendo armor. She had replaced the picture that had been vandalized by a jealous admirer some time before

"This is Hattori-kun so this omamori must be Kazuha-chan's!" Shinichi didn't allow the discovery to faze him and he quickly got to work carefully scanning the area where the necklace had been dropped. He walked toward the side of the road closest to the sidewalk and looked around for tire tracks. After finding none we walked across the street to the other side of the road. After careful inspection he found a few fragments of rubber that signified a large vehicle had pulled out in hurry from the spot not too long before. Upon further analysis he also discovered a few traces of what appeared to be straw on the ground.

"What is it?" Kogoro asked, looking intently over Shinichi's shoulder. He stood up from the knee he had taken to look at the specimen

"I might have an idea where they are" Kogoro nodded back and motioned for Shinichi to continue his explanation. "You see that?" he asked behind his shoulder, causing Kogoro to lean in closer while remaining on his feet

"It's a gutter" Kogoro said densely. Shinichi shook his head

"No I mean what's in the gutter" Kogoro leaned in just a tad closer to get a better look

"It looks like gravel and some straw. What about it?" Kogoro asked before changing his countenance and giving Shinichi a serious look "Do you think they were taken there?"

"There's only one place I know of in Tokyo that would have straw and this type of soil." He turned to the man he hoped to call father-in-law some day "Come on" he said as he made his way back over toward the group. They had all descended on Ran and the omamori, voicing various theories about what the presence of such an item could mean.

"A-hem" Kogoro coughed to gain their attention. In one motion all of the heads in the group turned to face the two men standing before them

"We're going to need a car" Shinichi said with his trademark grin


	19. Ignorance

"Huh? Why?" was the group's consensual response to Shinichi's declaration

"We may know where those two are but its on the outskirts of town" Kogoro added, verbalizing Shinichi's thoughts

"But wait, what did you find Shinichi?" Ran asked, drawing closer to him

"Oh uh we found hay. That and some distinct soil makes me think that the people that kidnapped Hattori and Kazuha took them to the old horse ranch outside the city"

"But Shinichi hasn't that place been abandoned for years?" Ran retorted

"That's precisely why its suspicious. If we get a car we should be able to get there in forty minutes" the group fell silent for a moment as they meditated on his comment

"There's just one problem" Eri started as she adjusted her glasses "If we take my car I can only take four people"

"And my car can only fit four adults as well" Agasa chimed in. Shinichi put his hand to his chin to process the variables and then readdressed the group

"Then we'll have Ran, Mouri-san, Eri-san and I go first with Eri's car which is back on the street by the Detective Agency. Hakase and Haibara you can back home for now, this might be dangerous" The group all nodded in agreement and separated

* * *

"Hakase?" Haibara asked to gain his attention. He looked down at the young scientist

"Hm?" He looked at her while she continued to look forward

"I don't like this. It seems like that was too easy. I know Kudo-kun is apt at solving cases but that was a little too simple even for him" Agasa looked away from her and focused his attention forward

"Do you think this is a trap then?" he asked soberly with no trace of amusement in his voice

"It's possible. Just in case we should follow them but remain hidden" Agasa shook his head in agreement. They were silent for a few seconds before Agasa asked the next question that had been bothering him

"So what do you think of the antidote's results thus far?" Haibara clasped her hands behind her back and looked up at the sky thoughtfully

"He seems stable but it's still too early to tell. We'll need at least two full days before we can run a follow-up blood test to confirm the duration of the drug's effect" Agasa consented with her conclusion

"So it's still possible he could-"

"Revert back into Edogawa Conan? Yes, the chance still remains. However, based on the testing I've done the cure should be permanent" Agasa smiled at the prospect and they both remained silent as they continued to walk 'Kudo-kun, I truly hope this is the permanent cure for you'

* * *

"Augh!" Heiji screamed aloud as the darkness which had enveloped their prison was contrasted by the new luminosity of the room. He quickly fell on his back with a hand on each eye. He could hear Kazuha to his right grumbling various obscenities in relation to the painfully bright light

"Good, you're up" A man's voice came echoing through the room. Heiji uncovered his eyes to see the figure only to be blinded once again by the unbearably intense illumination of the room. By this point Kazuha had completely rolled onto her stomach to protect herself from the shining light while continuing to grip her eyes shut

"Who the hell are you?" Heiji roared in the direction of the voice

"I'm no one to you. Now listen up, you are currently being used as bait in order to catch a much more valuable fish." He spoke condescendingly at them which only served to provoke Heiji

"Why you bastard I'll-"

"Calm down Great Detective of the West we don't intend on killing you. Notice how we've taken the liberty of blinding you to protect our identities." Heiji grumbled in a mixture of relief and still boiling rage. However he realized quickly that it be better to play it cool and so he consciously put on a cocky grin and sat up with his eyes still clenched shut

"So, there are more of you?" he asked arrogantly

"Yes there are, excellent observation. Now" he started again as the sound of metal trays hitting the ground caught Heiji and Kazuha's joint attention "here's some food. It's not poisoned trust me. As I stated earlier, we don't want to kill you." He chuckled to himself and began to walk away from the two teenagers

"Wait!" Kazuha's voice came out of nowhere considering she'd been almost completely silent since the lights had come on

"What is it sweetness?" the man asked in a tone that Heiji considered way to forward

"Why us?" she muttered with a trembling voice riddled with fear and confusion

"How else would we get the attention of the illustrious Kudo Shinichi?" Heiji could tell he was mocking them but before he could scream any sort of retort he heard a door close and the lights were off again. Heiji and Kazuha both threw their eyes opened and blinked rapidly, trying to readjust their eyes to the darkness once again.

"This is awful Heiji" Kazuha stated with an air of remorse in her voice

"Yeah, those guys are just using us to get Kudo here" Heiji' seemed upset as well, but he was more upset by the fact he was being used as a stepping stone to get to Shincihi. 'Those bastards; they think they can just use me like I'm nothing. I'll show those guys' his self-righteous thoughts were broken by Kazuha's ear-shattering screams

"Hattori Heiji snap out of it!" She shrieked violently, not needing to see his face to know that he was caught up in his own thoughts. He jerked his head and looked over in her direction

"Aho I'm trying to figure things out! Don't be so loud!" At least for a moment his usually fire had returned

"Aho! I've been trying to tell you that guy left food here!" Heiji remembered hearing something hit the ground in front of him. He reached his feet out to feel for an object and quickly discovered a tray. He hooked his feet around the adjacent corners of the platter and pulled it toward him. Once it was with arm's reach he lifted it up and noticed no eating utensil was present

"Dammit" he grumbled to himself

"Don't be a baby" he heard Kazuha mock him "I know plain noodles aren't great but they're not that bad" Heiji took a moment to process the comment

"Aho I wasn't complaining about the food!" He shot back at her but received no verbal response for her, although he could hear her giggling to herself even with a mouthful of food. Heiji growled at the idea of being laughed act but brushed off his annoyance and joined Kazuha in eating. He hadn't been aware until that point how hungry he actually was.

* * *

It was 4:30 a.m and Vermouth was still awake. Not only that, but she hadn't even left her car. She was starting to feel dizzy from dehydration and her stomach was calling out for sustenance. Yet Vermouth felt no more inclined to move than she had six and a half hours earlier when she first pulled up to abandoned lot she had chosen to park in. Her eyes were empty as she stared blankly into the darkness before her contemplating nothing. Her conscious mind had left her hours before and now she was left with only emotions. Illogical, nonsensical yet all consuming, these feelings had drained her of any mental or physical energy she possessed. If breathing hadn't been an unconscious decision her body made without her consent she probably would have stopped hours ago.

**~Flashback~**

As her car pulled into an empty parking lot of a convenience store which was obviously closed she sobbed openly and loudly. She had been in this state since the moment her finger pulled the trigger just thirty minutes before. Her thoughts were jumbled and unclear, jumping from one thought to the other with no sense of direction. Years of murder and crime had never brought her to this level, and yet with a single twitch of her index finger she had driven herself to the greatest depths of emotional depression. Now she was sitting alone in an abandoned parking lot crying and screaming and letting all the pent up guilt and sorrow pour out of her. This continued for nearly an hour before she finally settled down and came to a startling realization

**~End Flashback~**

As she continued to stare with neutral eyes into the shadows that surrounded her car the same mantra repeated in her head like a monotone that ticked back and forth, keeping her mind centered on it. These words, although they had yet to be uttered audibly, had become all too familiar to her. As the words sank further into her psyche she started to snicker to herself. At first the laughter was tiny and almost unnoticeable. But after a mere twenty seconds it became uproarious and maniacal. In her mind the same mantra was still penetrating her thoughts

_I lost my God and now I've lost my humanity. Now I really am what I always pretended to be_

* * *

"Eri let me drive you don't know where we're going" Kogoro said definitively, for some reason expecting no argument

"As if I trust you to drive my car! I have a map of the district in the glove box so you can navigate" she grinned slyly, knowing full well Kogoro had no navigational prowess

"You know I'm no good with maps!" Kogoro shot back, seemingly annoyed by her open mockery of one of his weaknesses

"Well then I suppose he will have to navigate and you will have to sit in the back with Ran" Eri pointed her index finger at Shinichi who had already started to climb in the back of the car

"Eh?" he questioned and pointed a finger at himself

"Yes, now come sit up here" Eri did not linger outside the car for arguments and instead stepped into the driver's seat, leaving Kogoro and Shinichi to stare confusedly at each other. After an awkward standoff Kogoro finally stepped past Shinichi and entered the back seat of the car. Shinichi took this to mean 'You had better just do what she says' and entered the passenger seat.

"There, now get the map out" Shinichi turned to Eri and smirked confidently

"I already know how to get there, I won't need the map"

"Oh well I suppose I should have expected that from a young genius" she said almost sardonically. After that comment the car pulled away and, while Shinichi began to direct Eri, Kogoro scooted closer to his daughter to give her a piece of his mind

"You've been acting strangely Ran" he whispered to her, trying not to draw the attention of the two in front of them. Seeing this as an indicator that her father wanted to converse privately, Ran whispered in response

"I have not Otosan" Kogoro face indicated he was not buying her denial in the slightest

"Ran, I'm your father. You've been acting very odd, especially around that detective wannabe"

"He's not a wannabe!" Ran exclaimed, drawing the eyes of everyone in the car, especially Shinichi who could easily tell the conversation in the back seat was concerning him. 'Hehe' he thought to himself sarcastically with a small chuckle 'I wonder which 'wannabe' he's talking about'. He continued to face forward but focused his attention on the backseat until cold fingers grasped his ear

"Hey, stop daydreaming and tell me where to go next" Eri commanded maternally

"Oh r-right" Shinichi, against his will, gave up on eavesdropping. 'If its important, she'll tell me about it' Kogoro had been staring at his daughter with suspicious eyes ever since her outburst. She had continued to spurt out denial statements like a garden hose but he was tuning her out completely. Once she stopped talking her he decided it was his turn

"Ran" he said in a fatherly tone. It was all he had to say to communicate his message, and he succeeded. Ran realized in a flash that she was getting no where with him; she knew he could tell she was lying. She remained silent and stared at her hands which she held in her lap while he still awaited a response to his implied question. Finally she began to speak while still focusing on her hands

"He was gone for so long Otosan, and now that he's here I want tell him everything. Why I waited for him, why I cried every time he told me he didn't know when he would be back. How I…really feel…" Her admission had left her blushing while Kogoro gaped at the truth he had pushed to the deepest recesses of his brain for so long. He had talked to Eri about it on multiple occasions

**~Flashback~**

"Why does she always have to hang out with that detective wannabe punk? He steals my work then he takes my daughter away. It's as if he lives to scorn me" Kogoro whined into the phone as he crushed one of the seven beer cans that littered his desk. On the other line Eri rolled her eyes and yet couldn't help but feel a degree of sympathy for the tattered and worn man

"They have been together since they were kids. Its no surprise that they're like this now" Kogoro's eyes opened in shock and fear

"Like WHAT!" he asked her viciously, already baring veins on his temple

"You know…in love with one another"

"No! I refuse to believe that my daughter would not be in l-l-l…she would not associate with the likes of him!" Eri giggled lightly on the other line which further developed her husband's already volatile rage

"Don't seem so surprised. You had to have seen this coming, and besides, there certainly are worse men for her" Kogoro's breathing slowly returned to normalcy as the truth of the matter set in. Even though it was plain as day, Kogoro still grumbled in denial "By the way" Eri started, distracting Kogoro from his likely violent thoughts

"Huh?"

"Why did you call me?" Kogoro hesitated at the question. He knew it was coming but he still wasn't prepared for it.

"Well" he began, already starting to stammer "i-it's just that you're the best person to t-talk to" Eri blushed at the sentiment. Compliments were rare from her husband, especially after she moved out. She was about to respond when he finished his statement "about our daughter". While the comment was no longer as flattering, it was still nice to hear.

"Obviously" Eri responded, trying to hide that she was pleased by his words "I am her mother, who else would you talk to?"

"I guess talking to you was more of a last resort" he snorted, returning to his usual style of communication with his wife

"You pompous moron!"

"Shut up woman!" Instead of a verbal response Eri chose to claim victory in their little spat by abruptly hanging up the phone, leaving Kogoro even angrier than he had been before

**~End Flashback~**

"I can't believe it…" Kogoro mumbled to himself, which drew Ran's eyes toward him

"Otosan…" Ran whispered comfortingly, trying to console her father's obvious internal struggle

"I suppose he's not the _worst_ person in the world…" he turned to her with soft eyes, having to accept in that moment that his daughter was no longer the little girl he had housed and protected. If anything it had become quite the opposite, she had become the matriarch of his home and watched over him with care and love even despite his habits and slovenly lifestyle.

"Otosan!" she shouted, seeing his small compromise as the closest to his 'blessing' that she would get. She leaned over and hugged him tightly from the side. Kogoro jumped at the sudden contact at first but quickly felt a warm smile creep onto his face and he wrapped an arm around her. This outburst, similarly to the last one, had drawn Shinichi and Eri's attention back to the two backseat passengers, who were now smiling and sharing an embrace.

"What do you think they were talking about?" Eri asked with genuine curiosity. Shinichi only shrugged his shoulders in an admittance of ignorance. 'If its important, she'll tell me about it'

* * *

"Hakase are you sure you know where they are going?" Haibara asked with legitimate concern

"Of course, I used to take Shinichi and Ran-kun out to see horses there when they were 'your age' " Agasa teased and laughed heartily to himself while Haibara merely rolled her eyes at his dry sense of humor "Actually" Agasa added, changing his tone "We should get there before they arrive. This side street is somewhat of a short cut" Haibara turned away from the window and looked back at him

"But won't they notice your car when they arrive?"

"We should have some time to conceal ourselves before they arrive. Besides, if we get into trouble we can use this" Agasa pointed his thumb at the backseat with a confident smirk

"Are you sure it will work? Our test runs weren't too promising" Haibara commented almost mockingly

"Of course it will!" Agasa yelled, acting as if he was offended

"If you say so" Haibara muttered, glancing back at the metal sphere that was lying behind Agasa's seat. Due to its size and the pattern of the cracks on its exterior it looked similar to a metal soccer ball. As she looked away and focused on the road outside her window she remembered the day Agasa had shown her the prototype

**~Flashback~**

"Oi Ai-kun!" Agasa yelled merrily from the lab as she entered the house, still clad in a school uniform and her backpack. She shed the satchel on her back and walked swiftly toward his voice. When she found him he had two large oranges prongs coming out of his ears.

"What are you doing and what are those?" she asked, puzzled by his appearance and the large metal sphere he was holding

"Its my new invention, look at this" He beckoned her to look at the computer screen in front of him. When she observed it she immediately realized the type of reading they were

"These are sound readings"

"Yes. This is an audio-explosive device" he held the ball up proudly

"I've heard of engineers in the military experimenting with these. They were trying to harness raw sound waves and convert them into physical force"

"That's exactly right. This device can produce a sound force large enough to throw an average sized human being at least ten feet. The only drawback is the subsequent noise, its loud enough to cause temporary or even permanent deafness" Haibara continued to analyze the device as he explained its purpose

"So those things in your ears are-"

"Earplugs, state of the art. I'm getting older so I can't afford to risk what hearing I have left" Agasa laughed at his own comment while Haibara moved her eyes away from the ball and back to the computer

"How exactly do you plan on using this?" Haibara asked coldly. Agasa rubbed his chin thoughtfully

"Well I had planned to patent it and sell the device to a weapon's manufacturer" Haibara accepted the explanation and walked toward the door

"Well judging by those results it's not quite done yet anyway" Agasa took another glance at the computer then back at the ball in his hands

"Not quite, but I'll get it!" He responded with an air of determination. Haibara lingered in the doorway for a few seconds as her pseudo-father went back to tinkering with the device. She allowed an almost invisible smile to make itself visible on her face before she left him to his work

**~End Flashback~**

'I hope that device works. Although I still don't see how it could be of any assistance, it weighs nearly eight pounds…' she quickly brushed the thought off and went back to watching objects pass by her window. Agasa had watched her think as she stared at the object in the backseat and he smiled knowingly

**If anyone know's what honorifics Eri and Shinichi use to refer to one another please tell me in a review because i didn't now what to put. Aside from that, next chapter Shinichi and company close in on the alleged location of Heiji and Kazuha's captors. **

**This is the longest chapter yet just fyi**


	20. Hit the Lights

"Its seven o'clock" Haibara stated plainly after a check of her watch

"That's strange they should be here by now" Agasa responded with growing concern

"They'll be here, stay calm" Haibara responded coolly, trying to comfort the older gentleman beside her

* * *

"There it is!" Shinichi announced with the appropriate amount of volume to address the entire vehicle

"Good, I was starting to think we'd gotten lost out here" Eri said with a nervous giggle

"So you really think they'll be out here?" Kogoro asked coldly from the backseat

"I believe so, unless that soil was left back there on person to mislead us, but most criminals are not that smart" Shinichi smirked confidently at the thought of his superiority over criminals

"Well aren't you proud!" Ran teased from behind him

"Baka! What if I wasn't hmm? Then we would have murderers and thieves running around unchecked. You should be grateful that I'm better than the criminals!" Ran rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Silence reigned in the car for the next minute or so until Eri pulled up in front of the gates to the ranch. Sure enough, they were already open

"Well?" Eri looked over at Shinichi whose confidence hadn't wavered in the slightest

"Let's go" Eri nodded, uplifted by the teenage detective's composure. As they drove up the one lane dirt rode that led to the house Shinichi noticed the tire marks that were already present. 'There's no doubt now' he thought 'people have been here recently. They really are here'

"Do you think it's a good idea to park in front of the barn? You know they'll see us" Kogoro chimed in from the backseat as Eri proceeded to pull up to the front of the barn. Behind and to the sides were large, vine-like fences that seemed to have been used to house and separate animals at one point. However most of the fencing was rusted and laying helplessly on the ground or barely standing

"You're right" Eri responded frankly

"I agree. Pull around to the side of the barn behind those hay stacks." Shinichi pointed a declarative finger to the right side of the barn. Eri followed his indicator to the side of the barn which was lined with stacks of hay between five and twelve feet high. Eri pulled her car in and turned it off. As the group exited the car a gust of wind blew some of the loose hay in the bundles and on the ground around them. Ran raked her fingers through her hair trying to remove any and every article of hay from it. As they walked forward Shinichi allowed Ran to pass him so we could walk behind her. Ran jumped when she felt gentle fingers sifting through her long, brown hair. She whipped around to see Shinichi smiling at her with a few pieces of long hay between his fingertips

"Sorry, I noticed you missed some" he grinned proudly at his accomplishment, unaware of her bright red cheeks

"You…you…Baka! You can't just do that without asking first!" Shinichi snickered at her outburst until the two adults in front of them turned and hushed them with a finger over each of their mouths. Shinichi and Ran both ducked their heads down shamefully and picked up their pace to keep up with Eri and Kogoro.

"Okay 'brilliant detective', now what?" Kogoro asked snidely, earning a slap on the arm from his spouse

"Well" he started, visibly entering his 'detective mode' "It would be best if we stayed in two pairs and searched the perimeter first before we enter" The group consented "So I'll go with-"

"Me" Kogoro interjected, much to the surprise of all present. Ran was especially shocked and understandably upset to hear her father volunteer himself. She had been elated initially at the idea of splitting into pairs so she could have some alone time with Shinichi but now it seemed that her wishes would be squashed

"Well that's not really what I uh…had in mind" Shinichi mumbled, blushing at the thought of his actual intentions

"Nonesense honey let's go, we'll take this way you two go that way!" Eri blurted out in a cheery voice, giving her husband a glance to confirm her knowledge of his plan. Kogoro gave her a wink and with that Eri and Ran were off, with Ran still looking back at Shinichi while her mother dragged her away by the arm. Kogoro started to walk around the corner of the barn when he noticed Shinichi's gaze was still fixed on his daughter

"Oi get over here" he growled coldly, making Shinichi cringe. He quickly went to Kogoro's side and they walked in stride as they rounded the corner. Once they were secluded on the right side of the barn Kogoro thrust his hands into his pockets and sent his gaze up toward the stars "So, you've stolen my daughter from me" he stated plainly, causing Shinichi to spin around and face the seasoned detective to his right

"What? I mean Mouri-san, it's really not l-"

"I used to tell her to just give up on you. I used to tell her that you weren't worth all the nights she spent crying over you and I still don't think you are" Kogoro let his last statement permeate the young man's thoughts for a brief lapse of time. As they continued to walk in silence, Shinichi meditated heavily on Kogoro's words. After taking a considerable amount of time to think he turned to the grown man beside him and said in a hushed, shameful tone

"You're right" Kogoro's ear pricked up instantly and he turned to look at the upstart detective. Sure enough he was staring at the ground with his hands stuffed in his pockets

"But" Kogoro continued, earning an immediate reaction from Shinichi who rapidly shot his head up with a glimmer of hope in his eyes which were hardly visible in the dark "She really does care about you. I don't understand why, but she does." Shinichi's eyes lit up at the words of masked encouragement. Kogoro looked away from the teenager, allowing him time to digest his comment. Shinichi took a deep breath and turned to Kogoro with a look of fierce determination

"Mouri-san I promise I'll be here from now on. She won't have to cry over me anymore because I'll be here for her" Shinichi kept his chest puffed and his eyes sharp as Kogoro turned back toward him with a scrutinizing expression

"You can't promise that" His voice was blatant and unwavering

"What are you talking about? I will do everything in my power to make her happy from now on!" Shinichi argued, raising his voice in frustration

"It doesn't matter what you do. She's a woman, and you're a detective. She will worry about you and she will cry over you. There's nothing you can do about it" Shinichi was silenced thoroughly by the wisdom of man he had always assumed to be idiotic. He searched his mind for a response when Kogoro once again calmed his nerves "However" Kogoro turned toward Shinichi and gave him a rare and genuine grin "It's still your duty to try and prevent it, and if you don't, I'll kill you". Kogoro feigned anger and Shinichi smiled gratefully back at him. The two walked on in silence from that point on, both satisfied by the conversation and their newfound mutual interest

* * *

"Ai-kun, what are we waiting for?" Agasa asked, slow building panic in his voice

"They just went around to check the barn. We need to wait here until they go inside, remember, we're only here in case something goes wrong." Haibara stated with an unusual air of intense determination. Agasa nodded and placed his hands back on the steering wheel. Haibara had been staring at the barn since the moment the foursome arrived, waiting for any sign of struggle. Thus far everything had been quiet and so she was maintaining a relatively calm demeanor in comparison to the fifty-something professor to her left. He had been sweating since they parked, which wasn't unusual considering his size and unhealthy lifestyle. However his hands had also been tremulous and his eyes were shaky and dilated. Haibara had observed all of these factors and determined anxiety was not his only issue "Hakase?" she asked quietly

"Hmm?" he responded in an equally tame volume

"Have you been exposed to any sort of illness or bacteria the past few days?" her tone was calculating and official, catching him off guard and startling him slightly

"I don't think so. Why, do I look sick?" he asked almost humorously, pointing to his face

"Yes you do. Were you exposed to any of the immuno-suppressants we injected into Kudo-kun?" Agasa opened his mouth to shoot down her theory but stopped himself before speaking. He raised a hand to his chin and began to think intently

"Now that I think about it, I wasn't wearing gloves when we administered it" Hearing this, Haibara reached for his right hand and turned it so she could see his palm

"And you have an abrasion on your palm..." she looked up at him and then back down to his palm

"Ai-kun, you don't think…"

"It's possible you were exposed to the immuno-suppressant we gave Kudo-kun. It would explain your shaky hands, your profuse perspiration and the rapid ocular movement and dilation." Agasa turned back toward the windshield

"But it's been nearly seven hours since we gave that to him, if I had been infected the symptoms would have shown themselves earlier and they would have worn off by now" Haibara quickly grasped her chin and looked down

"Not necessarily. Due to your size and the limited amount of the drug that was introduced to your bloodstream, it would have taken significantly longer for the infection to spread throughout your body. In addition, due to your age and lack of physical health in comparison to Kudo-kun, not as much of the drug would be necessary for you to experience the symptoms" Agasa analyzed her theory and nodded in acceptance

"If that's true, then the infection will affect me for a longer time as well"

"Precisely, and you may lose consciousness soon" Agasa raised an open hand to his forehead

"My temperature has increased, I'm almost to the level of a fever" Haibara leaned over her chair onto the professor and pressed her hand to his forehead

"You're right. You can't drive like this Hakase, I'll…I'll have to go and tell Mouri-san and the others about your condition. One of them will have to drive your car for you" Agasa pulled a lever on his seat which reclined him back almost completely horizontal. He turned his head toward the girl

"Call Shinichi, tell him about my situation, there's no sense in you running out there. It's dangerous" As he finished Haibara scanned his countenance with concerned eyes 'He's continuing to sweat and his face is flushed. He's even shakier than he was before. He needs to get home and rest or he may become seriously ill'. Lost in her thoughts Haibara failed to notice his eyes fluttering closed. She jumped toward him but resolved to leave him be. 'He needs to rest all he can; the immuno-suppressant in his body is very powerful.' As she watched him rest with soft eyes she remembered why they were there and darted her eyes back up to the windshield where she noticed the four rescuers emerging from the right corner of the barn

* * *

As they reached the front of the barn where that had decided to separate all eyes returned to Shinichi

"Now what?" Ran asked straightforwardly, giving Shinichi her full attention. He kept his cool despite the pairs of eyes that were observing his every move

"Now we have to go in and look for them. It's a fairly large building so we'll split into pairs. Ran, you'll come with me and we'll go through the cellar door over there" he turned away from the group for a moment to indicate the large wooden doors that sat at a forty-five degree angle against the side of the barn. If it hadn't been for the light on Shinichi's wrist watch (which he had chosen to bring with him along with a few other items), the entryway wouldn't have been visible at all in the darkness.

"Shinichi why do we have to go down there that looks scary…" she trailed off, embarrassed by her own childish banter

"We'll be fine Ran, trust me" he gave her a smug grin which quelled her fears and brought a skillfully hidden smile to her face

"Mouri-san, you and Eri-san will go in through the main entrance and check the second level of the barn. I doubt they would be hidden on the ground level because its an open area with a number of different exits. Kidnappers wouldn't want their captives to have that many opportunities to escape, especially with someone like Hattori" Kogoro consented to the idea and the group once again split. As Kogoro and Eri disappeared through the main door which was cracked open slightly, Shinichi and Ran stood hesitantly at the cellar door

"Shinichi…" Ran whispered with obvious terror in her voice

"Ran, we'll be fine okay? I'm here, you don't have to worry. And besides, if anyone tries to attack us you can just use your karate!" Shinichi's encouragement reassured her and she motioned for him to open the door. Shinichi walked to one side of the door and grabbed a handle. Ran followed his lead and walked to the other side. In unison they each pulled on their respective sides and the door flew open. They returned to one another's side and looked ominously down at the staircase which seemed to descend endlessly. Shinichi switched his watch light back on and they were both visibly relieved to see there were only a dozen or so stairs. They looked at each other and Shinichi decided to relieve Ran's worries by taking the first step in. Ran brought a hand up to her mouth and clenched it into a nervous fist. Shinichi turned around and, noticing her still-present fear, reached his hand out to her. She blushed at the gesture and stood motionless, eying the hand for a moment before grabbing hold of it and allowing him to guide her down to the step he was on. With no regard for awkwardness or embarrassment, Shinichi maintained a firm hold on her hand as they continued their descent. Ran's fears were mitigated by the constant contact she had with him, however, Shinichi had grown more worried as they reached the end of the stairs and walked on. 'Why is there no dust on these steps? And there should have been a blast of dust from those doors opening if it's been abandoned for so long?' As these unsettling thoughts circulated in his mind he felt a massive force on his arm. When he looked to his left Ran was gripping his arm tightly, literally hanging from it

"Having trouble staying on your feet?" He asked pompously

"Baka! I tripped over something" she retorted angrily. He flashed his light at the offending spot and made a startling discovery

"Is that…"

"It looks like a cord" Ran stated bluntly, seemingly unaware if the ramifications of the discovery

"That's exactly what it is Ran. But where does it go and why is it here." As if on cue, a light flickered above them. One by one down the extensive underground tunnel, lights began to come on, each one approximately ten feet from the previous. Shinichi placed a protective arm across Ran's torso as he scanned their surroundings for whoever had illuminated their passageway.

"S-Shinichi…" she mumbled from behind him cautiously "We should go back, this is weird. Its like someone knows we're here" her suggestion didn't fall on deaf ears, but Shinichi had already made their decision

"No Ran we need to keep going. The presence of these lights means someone is in here, and they probably know where Hattori and Kazuha are. Or they might be the ones who took them, we don't yet. What we do know is that someone is in here and we need to find them" Ran gripped the back of Shinichi's shirt tightly. Somehow she found strength in him. Just knowing he was there comforted her

"Okay, I'll stay with you Shinichi" her declaration came as no shock to Shinichi who had given up on any chance of convincing her to go back without him.

"Come on" he said with purpose, taking an even tighter hold of her hand as he dragged her forward, nearly throwing her from her feet.

* * *

"Sir they're still coming toward us" A black clad man said, sitting at a desk which faced a wall full of 12' by 12' television screens. The man was typing something into a keyboard which was on the desk in front him when a figure strode next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder

"Good" Okiya said with a maniacal grin "I had a feeling he wouldn't be deterred so easily. Are the hostages ready?" he asked as he turned around to address the man behind him, who was thoroughly startled by his superior's seemingly psychic ability to detect people

"Uh h-hai!" he said nervously, still rattled by Okiya's cold stare which seemed to never end

"Good. I think I'll go see them now. You" he pointed another man that was monitoring a different set of screens that were all glowing green due to the color contrast of the night vision equipment which was in use

"Uh h-hai!" the grunt responded

"I want you to go to the upper section of the hideout and subdue our other two guests." The lackey bowed respectfully and left the room, loading his 9" pistol in the process. After his departure, Okiya walked toward a large wooden door which sat on the opposite end of the room, adjacent to the main wall of television screens. He gave a flick of his wrist to another man in all black, who, in accordance with a previous instruction, flicked three switches on the wall which caused the room in from of Okiya to be enveloped in blaring light. Okiya grinned smugly grabbed a pair of dark-lensed goggles off of the table beside him. He placed them on his head and entered the room, setting his sights on two straggly looking teenagers as they pressed their faces to the ground in hopes of avoiding the powerful light.


	21. How did you do it?

_This scene takes place between the times of 6:45 and 7:15. To put that in perspective, Ran, Kogoro, Shinichi and Eri arrived at the ranch at a few minutes after 7. _

"Takagi-kun!" Megure yelled from his office. The door to his office was lying open so Takagi quickly heard his name and reported to him

"Hai!" Takagi addressed his superior with a respectful salute

"You've been in the office for almost six hours, go and eat something you're starting to look pale" This night had been one of the slowest nights for the Beika police force since Takagi had begun working there. There had only been twelve calls and nine of them were domestic disturbances, two of them were drunk in public reports and there was one unarmed robbery. Needless to say Takagi had been at his cubicle more than usual, which Megure knew, could be stressful.

"Sir, I really feel fine and I ate earlier" Takagi lied. If nothing else, Takagi was known as a very diligent worker. He had been known to skip meals and even refuse sleeps during ongoing investigations. Some saw this disregard for his own health as arrogance but those who knew him well saw it as the selflessness that was synonymous with him.

"Takagi-kun, a dessert cake from a machine does not constitute eating. Now, I'm ordering you to go and eat something. I don't want to see you back in here for at least thirty minutes." Takagi opened his mouth to protest but stopped and simply nodded in defeat. Megure watched Takagi leave his office and heaved a sigh of relief once the door closed behind him. As Takagi organized the loose papers on his desk Shiratori appeared behind him

"So, Megure-keibu told you take a break" he stated matter-of-factly

"Uh h-hai" he responded behind his shoulder, quickly returning his eyes to his desk

"Well, I'm off as of now would you like to go eat?" Takagi whipped his head around with an astonished expression

"What about Kobayashi-sensei?"

"Sumiko told me earlier she had things to plan and work to finish. I'll be seeing her tomorrow since we're both off. So, what do you say?" He smiled genuinely. These moments of companionship had become more frequent since he and Kobayashi had begun their relationship. Jealousy had often caused tension between he and Takagi but in the past month they had become much more comfortable with one another

"That sounds great." Takagi consented, pushing the last few pieces of floating paper into a manila folder and clipping it shut. Shiratori held out a welcoming hand and allowed Takagi to pass him. They walked into the elevator and out of the building

"So, how about I give you a ride? I'll drop you back here after our meal" Takagi agreed and they both entered Shiratori's car. The drive was only a few minutes and the only conversation that took place was Takagi teasing Shiratori over a pop song that came on the radio which Shiratori obviously enjoyed but steadfastly denied. They arrived at the noodle house which was a popular stop for on call police men and women and sat down to order

"So tell me" Shiratori started with a mischievous smirk "how exactly did you propose to our esteemed Miwako-san?" Takagi sweated nervously at the question. Shiratori seemed to be burning holes into him with his stare as he awaited a response

"Well I uh…"

"Don't be embarrassed, she said 'yes' right?" Takagi nodded with visible relief "Then there's no reason to be embarrassed about it. Now, what happened?" Takagi darted his eyes around the room conspicuously for a moment before looking at Shiratori again

"She...I mean I went to see her at her apartment, but when I got there she was gone and there was…smoke." Shiratori raised an eyebrow

"Smoke?"

"It turns out she left some meat in the oven and it burned. I found that out when I ran into the apartment to find her. After I realized she wasn't there I…reached in the oven to take the meat out but…" Takagi blushed slightly in embarrassment and held his hands out, which had been bandaged around the palms

"I was going to ask about that. Hmm…so you burnt your hands and then what?" Takagi swallowed hard as he recalled the next sequence of his story

"Well I ran outside and shortly after that Sato-san came. I guess she already realized it was her meat that was causing the smoke. She asked me what happened to my hands and I told her. Then she asked why I was there and…you know" he blushed a darker red. Shiratori grinned at his friend who seemed to still be shy about his engagement

"Well congratulations again" Takagi shook himself out of his bashful stupor and smiled widely at the repeated praise. He then gave Shiratori a look that was very similar to the one he had given a short time ago

"So?" Takagi asked with a raised eyebrow that was practically aimed at Shiratori

"What?" he questioned, ignorant to his fellow officer's intentions

"How did you do it?" A small bead of sweat ran down Shiratori's temple and past his jaw to his neck

"You don't want to hear that, it's boring, nothing special" Takagi's gaze was unwavering

"I told you now you have to tell me" Shiratori was sweating a little more as their orders arrived which they hadn't even requested. Being as they had come into that specific noodle house at least fifty times the workers knew precisely what their regular order was

"Oh arigato!" Shiratori spat out as he quickly stabbed his chops sticks into the bowl and placed a large mouthful of noodles into his mouth. Takagi gave his thanks to the waitress as well but immediately returned to staring at Shiratori, not paying a second mind to the food in front of him. Shiratori slowly lowered the food dish in his hand to the table and wiped his mouth in a gentlemanly manner, trying to preserve any dignity he had left

"If you really want to hear this fine."

**~Flashback~**

Shiratori walked hurriedly through the halls of Teitan Elementary looking for the classroom he had become all too familiar with since he had met Kobayashi. He had dropped her off and picked her up from the school every business day without fail, many times having to request an absence from a crime scene or an interrogation to do so. On this day however his pilgrimage to classroom 2-B was being made much more difficult than usual, for the inopportune time he had chosen to surprise his girlfriend was: right as the classes were being released for lunch. He was struggling valiantly against the waves of half-size people that were cascading into his legs with surprising force. When he finally made it to his destination he was flushed and gasping for breath. He stared at the closed door in front him for a moment, trying to re-adjust his hair while emotionally readying himself. He took one last deep breath and opened the door to the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to his beloved Kobayashi watering a trough of flowers that lined the window sill. She was wearing a modest outfit consisting of a light pink blouse and blue jeans. She was turned around facing the window so Shiratori took another few seconds to gather himself and admire the pleasing aesthetic before him. He was caught off guard when she turned around rather abruptly and gasped aloud at his presence

"N-Ninzaburo!" she exclaimed as she fell on the ground. Shiratori stood in shock momentarily before rushing over to help her up

"Sumiko are you alright?" he asked her worriedly, placing a hand behind her back to assist her as she rose to her feet. She blushed furiously as she patted her legs to rid herself of dust she may have collected in her fall

"Hai! Why are you here you're not supposed to pick me up for another few hours and you didn't call" she seemed on the verge of frantic at the unplanned visit. Shiratori almost wanted to giggle at her overreaction to the situation but instead gave her quick grin

"I wanted to surprise you. Actually there's a special reason I came to see you" Shiratori ducked his head down slightly to break their eye contact. Kobayashi continued to stare at him, befuddled by his uncharacteristic nervousness

"If you want to go somewhere else we can go to the teacher's lounge, I still have another thirty minutes before class resumes and I haven't even had lunch yet" Shiratori shook his head in refusal and locked his eyes with hers

"No it's alright I'd rather do this in…private" Kobayashi was puzzled by his words and could only continue to look at him, waiting for him to speak. His mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty as he struggled mentally and physically to reach for the item in his left pocket. Kobayashi had never been apt when it came to romance or men so she was at a total loss. After what seemed like an eternity she finally broke the tense silence that had developed between them

"Is something wrong? You're sweating a lot and your hands are shaking" she reached out and placed each of his quivering hands in hers, earning an almost immediate reaction from Shiratori who let out a deep breath and grinned with self-assurance

"Sumiko" he started, still looking at her hands which had come to envelope his "w-will you…" he continued, taking his left hands away from hers and moving it toward his pocket "m-m" his words were getting jumbled in his mind but his hand was still en route to the ring in his pocket. Before he could finish his question verbally his hand almost unconsciously lifted the velvet box out of his pocket. Kobayashi's breath caught in her throat as he fell to a knee and looked up at her with longing eyes. He opened the box and raised his hand up toward her, offering the ring up "marry me?" She threw her right hand up to her mouth while the left squeezed Shiratori's right tightly

"B-But a-are you sure?" she mumbled from behind her hand

"Of course I am. I've waiting many years to find you. All those years I searched for you and then I thought I had found you when I really hadn't. However now that I really have found you I want to make sure I never lose you again" his words were genuine and his gaze was immovable. A few tears streaked down her face as she slowly moved her hand away from her mouth toward the shining diamond ring in front of her. She gently removed it from its shelter and analyzed it closely, as if she needed confirmation of reality. In a rapid motion she removed her hand from his and pushed the ring onto the appropriate finger. Shiratori beamed as she lunged onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck

"Hai! Hai!" she bellowed out, unconcerned by the setting or the fact that there were most likely curious students and teachers coming to investigate the sound of screaming that was echoing out from her room

**~End Flashback~**

Takagi smirked with satisfaction as the man across from him blushed ever so subtly

"That's a lot better than mine!" Takagi yelled, feigning envy

"Well…" Shiratori muttered under his breath, quickly regaining Takagi's full attention

"Wait, did something happen after?" Shiratori moved his eyes around the room erratically, trying to avoid Takagi's stare

"You…could say that…"

"Tell me!" Takagi blurted out with uncontrollable enthusiasm

"It's just…when I went to pick her up that this afternoon…the children in her class made a banner and hung it at the entrance of the school." Takagi looked at him confusedly for a moment

"What did it say?" he inquired

"Uh… Suenagaku oshiawase ni kon'yaku o aishite Shiratori to Kobayashi…" Takagi soaked in the words before bursting out into uncontrollable laughter. Shiratori's face flushed even redder as Takagi continued, clenching his stomach and struggling for breath. After another twenty seconds or so he stopped and composed himself. Shiratori stared at him angrily

"Gomen, gomen. I assume that was the work of-"

"Conan-kun's friends. Although he wasn't there, I suspect he had something to do with it. Now that I think about, one of the little girls that's usually with him wasn't there either" Takagi thought about the comment for a moment before shaking it off and returning his attention to the real topic of conversation

"I'm happy for you" he said with a smile that seemed to prove his claim

"Arigato. Now finish your meal, I'd like to get home and rest." Takagi chuckled at his friend's rush

"Oh right, you've got a busy day with Kobayashi-sensei tomorrow" Shiratori did not respond to the comment. Instead he took a sip from the cup of water in front of him and turned his attention to something on the other side of the restaurant.

Once Takagi had finished eating Shiratori drove him back to the precinct and wished him a pleasant evening. As Takagi approached the building he pulled out his phone and dialed in one of his speed dials

"Takagi-kun?" a drowsy voice mumbled on the other line

"Gomen, were you asleep?" he asked, hoping he hadn't actually woken her up

"Yes but I'm glad you woke me up. I was asleep at my mother's house. I suppose now I can return to my apartment. What do you need?" she solicited as she rose from the couch she had been passed out on

"Oh uh I just uh…wanted to see how you were" he scratched the back of his, almost ashamed of the lack of comfort he felt speaking to his fiancé.

"Oh I'm fine. In fact I'm actually great!" her elated tone encouraged him

"That's good to here" he responded as an awkward silence overtook the line

"Well is there anything else?" she asked, almost expectantly

"Uh yes I actually called to tell you that Shiratori-san proposed to Kobayashi-sensei" Takagi could hear Sato cheer from the other line

"That's wonderful! I'm happy for them both. You don't think you did that just to copy you did he?" she teased, unaware that it was actually the other way around

"No no no that would be stupid" he returned, laughing nervously

"Well if that's it I'm going to hang up"

"Wait!" Takagi interjected urgently

"What is it?" Sato asked with an obvious air of hope in her voice

"I…I just wanted to…I mean I know I told you this earlier but I wanted to tell you that I…I love you, Miwako" Sato, even despite having heard the words from his mouth before and having returned his sentiments, still blushed madly. Meanwhile Takagi waited patiently on the other line with mounting anxiety. His fears were finally quelled when he heard a confident voice respond

"And I love you, Wataru" they both let out a joint sigh of relief

"I'll come see you tomorrow okay?" he said cheerfully

"Okay!" she responded excitedly

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight"

**Suenagaku oshiawase ni kon'yaku o aishite - Love Forever Happy Engagement **

**Congrats to me, that's three weeks now posting one chapter per day. I really am a marvel aren't I? Well, there's still plenty more to come so keep reading, I know i left the actual action at a weird spot but i felt the need to put this little filler in. Kobayashi and Shiratori really don't get as much attention as they deserve. **

**Have a pleasant tomorrow**

**signed - Matt Gallion**


	22. Trap Door

"Would you just come on!"

"Shut up you inconsiderate moron!"

"It's just a spider now can we go!"

"You know I hate spiders!" With an irate expression on his face Kogoro marched over to his wife who for the past few minutes had been physically and mentally paralyzed by the inch high monstrosity in front of her. He gave her a genuinely annoyed look and lifted his foot into the air. In what may have been an effort to blow off some steam Kogoro slammed his foot hard into the wooden boards below him, effectively crushing the terrifying arachnid.

"There now can we go?" he asked her in a more subdued but still obviously unamused tone. She nodded to him half-heartedly, watching the spot where the spider had been squashed with an unrelenting stare, as if it was going to resurrect once she left the vicinity. They opened the first of four doors on the upper level of the barn. This was undoubtedly the portion of the structure where the proprietors had actually lived. The first room was the bedroom of what must have been a young girl, maybe six or seven years old. The walls were draped with pinks decorations, curtains and even paint. The room may very well have existed to pay homage to the color. Aside from the color scheme, the room was fairly barren, storing only a few dolls and an empty window seat. Once they confirmed there was no trace of hostages or foul play in the room they moved on to the next which was only a few feet away from the previous and directly adjacent to it. Upon opening the door a cloud of dust erupted in their faces, causing both of them to cough aloud. After a few seconds of hacking and waving their arms to blow the dust away, they stood up straight and entered the room. This room was significantly smaller and housed only cleaning equipment and other farming utensils. Satisfied with the room apparent vacancy they moved on to the third of the four rooms which had a much wider entryway than the other two. The door was two sided with no knobs. Kogoro walked in front of Eri and pushed the door open. She followed closely after him, placing a hand on his back so as not to get lost in the now increasing darkness. Kogoro reached into the interior pocket of his jacket top and revealed a flashlight. When he turned it on he was startled to see that they were actually in a hallway. The hallway had no doors on either side. Instead there was one door at the end of the hallway and a rope hanging from the ceiling in front of them. Kogoro hesitantly pulled on the rope which revealed a small flight of stairs, only five feet high. Kogoro looked back at his wife for reassurance. She motioned with a wave of her hand for him to ascend the ladder. He obliged and climbed through the opening in the ceiling. Once he was in the attic he began to scan the area. After a minute or so he turned around to see why his wife hadn't followed him. When he looked down the opening to find Eri she was nowhere to be seen. He promptly jumped down to look for her. After a quick check in each direction he started to walk toward the door they had come in through. After a few steps however he felt a prick in his neck and he slowly lost the feeling in his extremities. He turned to see what had hit him but collapsed before he could turn fully around.

* * *

"S-Shinichi, are you sure about this?" Ran asked with a trembling voice.

"Ran don't worry" he turned around shot her a confident grin "I won't let anything happen to you" Ran's insides melted at the sincerity in his pledge and she smiled back him in effort to communicate her trust wordlessly. As they ventured forward the scene did become more eerie. The lights that hung over their heads flashed incessantly and the silence that being underground warranted was almost unbearable. The only sound Ran and Shinichi could hear aside from their own breathing was the subtle buzzing of the lamps that lined the cavern. They had been walking for quite sometime and there seemed to be no evidence of any sort of entrance or exit.

"It's amazing" Ran whispered to herself. Shinichi caught her comment and turned to her

"Hmm?" Ran apparently hadn't noticed his gaze on her and almost jumped when she realized he had heard her

"Oh it nothing. I was just thinking about how long it must have taken to make something like this" she dragged her hand along the outer wall of the tunnel.

"This really is impressive; however it's not too surprising. This place has been abandoned for a long time and my guess is they didn't dig this out with shovels" Shinichi commented sarcastically, earning a giggle from the girl beside him.

"That's true!" she agreed, still laughing softly. Silence fell on the teenagers as their laughter slowly died off. Ran continued to admire the tunnel's construction while Shinichi got lost in his own thoughts. 'She has a point though, how long have these people been here? If they had the time and resources to construct something like this, what else could they have here?' he raised his hand to his chin and gripped it, drawing Ran's attention. She shook her head and smiled to herself 'Baka Shinichi, always thinking.' As she continued to watch him an evil thought came to her mind 'I wonder if…' she slyly drew her head up toward the side of his and, in a not-so-gentle manner, blew in his ear. Shinichi, who had been very deep in meditation was almost shot to the ceiling when a gust of wind came rushing into the inner recesses of his ear. He swiveled his head toward Ran who was laughing uncontrollably at his little episode

"Baka what the hell was that for!" he roared angrily. Ran's wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed her breathing, although she was still grinning widely

"It's just… you seemed so focused on what you were thinking about…." Shinichi's eyes calmed as he continued stare at Ran

"So this was just some kind of evil prank?" he asked with a smirk that screamed cruel intentions (not the movie). Ran picked up on this quickly and went into apology and forgiveness mode

"Oh come on don't be mad it was just a joke" she looked at him with her big azure eyes that had always made him weak in the knees. He opened his mouth to protest but she strategically took a step closer to him and lowered her head, trying to appear innocent and helpless. She had become very good at this routine over their years of companionship even despite the fact that she rarely used it. She was a karate champion after all so why would she need such a petty tactic. Regardless her plan left Shinichi with no budge room and so he simply turned his head and gave her a sarcastic 'hmph'. She giggled to herself again, knowing she had won their standoff.

* * *

"How are my prisoners? Comfortable I hope"

"Damn you what the hell do you want with us!" Heiji screamed violently

"Oh come now, I can't tell you that" Okiya said smugly as he bent down in front of their holding cell "Or I'd have to kill you both" Kazuha shuddered at the apathetic tone in his voice. Heiji could hear her shaking and stretched his leg out to find her foot again. When he found it he could sense her composure return and he sighed a breath of relief. "You two seem to be coping fairly well with you're uh…" he ran his hands down one of the bar on their cage "predicament."

"Why wouldn't we, you said you weren't going to k-kill us so why would we be scared?" Kazuha blurted out, causing Heiji to open his eyes in shock then immediately grunt in pain and close them again

"You make an excellent point, but then again-"

"If he's willing to kidnap us who says he wouldn't lie to us too?" Heiji interjected

"That's exactly right. You truly are as sharp as you're made out to be" Heiji growled at the condescending tone the unknown man was taking with him. If there was anything Heiji couldn't stand it was being made fun of. Just as he opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind Okiya continued "I bet you're wondering why you can't open your eyes in here" he predicted knowingly, reaching out to Heiji's natural curiosity

"That's simple. By leaving the room completely darkened for an extended amount of time then turning those fluorescent lights on, you make it impossible for our eyes to adjust" Okiya scoffed at this deduction

"It's not quite that simple. You see even I have to wear eye protection when I turn these lights on. These are more than just fluorescent lights; they are experimental Japanese military lights that were intended for use on military vehicles. However in tests they found that not only were these lights to bright for oncoming drivers, they even caused ocular nerve damage that resulted in eight of ten test subjects being partially or completely blinded. Looking into these lights with an uncovered eye for even a few seconds could result in temporary or even permanent loss of sight." Once he had finished his detailed description of the equipment Okiya rose to feet and walked toward the door.

"Wait" Heiji requested

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Okiya turned back toward the detective, waiting expectantly for his question

"If that's all true, then why turn the lights off when you leave?" Okiya laughed loudly, almost mockingly

"Because" he allowed a degree of tension to build before he finished "as long as its dark, how are you to know whether or not you can still see?" Okiya laughed even more outlandishly as he opened the door and exited the room. As the door closed and the lights once again turned off, Heiji was left in complete disbelief.

"Heiji?" Kazuha whispered longingly, needing to hear his voice

"I'm here Kazuha" Heiji returned, sensing her reinstated fears

"That guy…there's something wrong with him." Kazuha commented, maintaining the petrified air in her voice

"I know." He responded curtly, sounding more defeated than he had before

"Heiji what's wrong?" she asked with serious concern. She had leaned on him throughout their debacle as her rock and now even he was starting to waver. He didn't respond to her question immediately which only further worried her "Tell me Heiji" she insisted in a hushed tone, trying to soothe his stress away as best she could

"I just…" he started, struggling to translate his thoughts into words. He had always exuded confidence, even arrogance, but he had never been a man to admit fear to anyone, even himself and especially Kazuha

"Heiji you can tell me" Kazuha knew how hard it was for Heiji to be vulnerable and could only hope to encourage him with her words of comfort

"I fell like…there's nothing I can do…" Kazuha wished so badly at that moment that she could reach out and hold him. She wished she could do anything to console him, even in the slightest bit. For a brief span of time her own fear and anxiety left her

"Heiji don't say that" she started plainly, her words coated with the confidence that had always been so prominent in her childhood friend "you'll think of something, you always do. You can't give up so easily or I'll never forgive you!" she raised her, almost jokingly. She could feel Heiji smile to himself "I mean, if Kudo-kun were here…" he whipped his head around and looked in the direction of her voice

"Oi I'm ten times better than that guy!" he roared instinctively

"Oh yeah tantei-san, then prove it" Heiji clenched his hands into fists and pulled on each of the restraints on his wrists. Although he didn't respond, Kazuha knew she had succeeded in her goal.

* * *

"Why aren't the calls going through?" Haibara asked herself aloud after her fifth call to Shinichi resulted in another prerecorded message informing her that he was currently outside of service range. Every passing minute added more stress to her situation, with Agasa lying passed out in the driver seat of the car and Shinichi not answering his phone. She leaned over her father figure and opened analyzed his face and hands "His palms are still sweating and his cheeks are flushed and" she pressed her hand to his forehead "he is still burning up. He starting to feel the full force of the immuno-suppressant" she looked around the car for anything to help his status before returning to her seat "there's nothing here that I can use. I can't even cool him down…" she looked out the windshield at the ominous building that her companions had recently entered "I have to go find someone" she opened the passenger side door and leapt out of the car. Before she closed the door she gazed at Agasa for a moment 'I'll be back with help. Just rest Hakase'.

* * *

"Shinichi, look" Ran said nervously as she pointed to a large door ahead of them. They both ran toward it and, upon inspection found it to be metal

"Whoever did this is very well funded. This door is reinforced with metal and it had an access code box" Shinichi stared at the nine digit code box with uncertainty as Ran dragged her fingers along the outside of the door

"What do we do now?" Ran asked

"I…don't know"

* * *

"Sir we captured Mouri and his wife. We have them in the third holding cell" Okiya turned around to face the skittish young criminal

"Good"

"Sir we have a visual on Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran, it seems they've made to the main entrance"

"Excellent they're early"

"What would you like me to do?" Okiya grinned mischievously as he gazed at the teenagers on one of the display screens in front of him

"Let them be for the moment. We'll see if he can find a way in"

"You know that impossible that's a titanium reinforced door with an air sealed lock and an electrical back up security lock"

"Like I said, we'll see if he finds a way in" Okiya smirked smugly at the young detective 'We'll see just how smart you are, Great Detective'

* * *

"What the hell…" Kogoro grumbled angrily as he rubbed his head

"You're awake" Kogoro looked over to his wife who was sitting beside him with her knees pressed to her chest

"Eri what happened?" Eri continued to stare at her knees

"I have no idea. I was in that hallway and then everything went black. Then, I woke up here" Kogoro continued to rub his head as he rose to his feet

"Where are we?" Eri did not budge from her position

"I don't know. I would assume whoever kidnapped those two kids has done the same to us" Kogoro listened as he walked along the sides of their prison, feeling the solid concrete walls.

"These aren't just kidnappers" Eri finally moved her head up and looked over at her husband, meeting his eyes

"No, they're not"


	23. Meeting the Enemy P 1

"Sir?" one of the lackeys that had been typing various sequences into a keyboard in front of the wall of screens suddenly turned around and addressed Okiya

"What is it?" Okiya asked, assuming the grunt had made a discovery or come across a snag in the system

"Oh there's nothing wrong I just…wanted to ask you a question…" the man knew how risky it was to be so forward with a higher up of their organization. Many had died that way, people that he knew even. So it was understandable for there to be a degree of fear in his voice. Okiya gave him a cold stare as he contemplated whether or not to receive and answer the nameless criminal's question. Finally after a tense half a minute Okiya shot him a grin

"Okay then, what did you want to ask?" the man fidgeted in his seat and his hands trembled violently. Streaks of sweat were beginning to soak the collar of the black sweater he was wearing.

"Well I… I mean I'm not _questioning_ you or anything like that it's just…" Okiya maintained his grin as the petrified young man in front of him stammered on. He enjoyed watching him squirm beneath his stare and the fact that his presence was that powerful

"Well?" he beckoned the underling to continue in a genial tone

"Well, I was watching the video feed from the holding cell with Mouri Kogoro and Kisaki Eri and…" he hesitated as he mulled around the way in which he would present his point "It's just…well unlike those two teenagers, we left the lights on in their cell and they weren't given any restraints…" Okiya processed the comment and walked closer to man whose body had grown more tremulous with every passing second

"Because they aren't a threat" he stated plainly

"But the other two…"

"If you had done your research on our captive you would know Hattori Heiji is publicly known as all of the following: he's intelligent, hot-tempered and he's overly protective of that girl with him. That is the kind of person that will succeed in breaking out of a containment cell. Plus they are both highly apt martial artists" the lackey gripped his chin analytically for a moment before turning back toward his boss

"That makes sense" Okiya began to walk away from him as the black clothed man chuckled nervously. 'And besides' Okiya thought with a still present grin 'I still have plans for you, Hattori Heiji'

* * *

"Should we go back?" Ran chimed in after having watched Shinichi scan the perimeter of the door in front of them at least fifteen times. Shinichi ceased his current reevaluation of the barrier and turned to face her

"There's no point. For one, whoever is behind this door already knows we're here. Those lights didn't come on by themselves and this is all too intricate to be a coincidence. My guess is they wanted us to track them here. Plus, didn't you notice that shortly before those lights came on that the door we came in through slammed shut?" Ran gave him a faint nod, still trying to process his deduction "It's safe to assume they've already locked us in here. And unless I missed something earlier, there are no others entrances in this tunnel." Ran gave him another nod in agreement

"Then what do we do? It's not like we can just…" Ran trailed off as an idiotic thought crossed her mind

"Ran? Ran, what is it?" Shinichi solicited with growing concern. Ran looked up at him with a fierce look of determination which Shinichi was all too acquainted. This was a face that Ran only made when she intended to utilize her years of martial arts training, and Shinichi could only think of one reason why she would have that particular countenance

"Shinichi" she growled

"No. Ran no, you can't, that's stupid" he rambled as she strode past him to face the door, lining her body up with the hinged side of the large steel door. She dug her feet in and brought her clenched fists to her sides "I'm serious, you're going to hurt yourself. This is ridiculous you can't-"

*_HE-YA*_

* * *

"What the hell?" another worker screamed as a loud thud rang out through the control room via their audio feed.

"What was that?" Okiya yelled, losing his composure for a moment

"Sir, you're not going to believe this" the worker pointed a shaky finger at one of the screens on the wall

"That's…that's not possible, that's insane. There is no way-"

*_WHAM*_

"Sir she did it again"

"I can see that!" he leapt away from the monitors and turned to a pair of henchmen who were occupying themselves with idle chat "You two, go down there and sedate them. Put them in holding cell D" the two nodded obediently and fled the room hurriedly

"Sir I thought you said-"

"That was _before_ that damn girl punched a _hole_ in the door!"

* * *

'Ran…' Shinichi thought as she reared back for another strike

*_HE-YA*_

'I always underestimate how strong she is. Sometimes it really is scary…' his thoughts were interrupted when a brow-soaked Ran turned and faced him

"Okay let's go find Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan!" she insisted cheerfully, almost excitedly. Shinichi stammered with response, still immeasurably impressed by Ran's strength and commitment. She giggled at his dumbfounded expression "Shinichi!" she half-screamed, still laughing at him as he shook his head and awakened from the stupor he had been consumed by

"Right, come on" he said as he took a firm hold of Ran's hand and dragged through the sideways door which had been unhinged and forced inward by what an outsider would have assumed to be a missile. Or more accurately a series of missiles

* * *

"Kazuha did you-"

"Yeah. It was really quiet but I heard something. It sounded like a scream…" she trailed off, seemingly unnerved by the unflattering thoughts of what a scream could mean coming from the place they were in

"Good so I'm not losin' it" Despite his words, he wasn't so sure about his sanity. The words the mysterious man had said to him were still burning into his mind. 'What the hell did that guy mean…is it possible that

**~Flashback~**

"…Looking into these lights with an uncovered eye for even a few seconds could result in temporary or even permanent loss of sight"

"…as long as it's dark, how are you to know whether or not you can still see?"

**~End Flashback~**

'What if…when I opened my eyes…'

"Heiji" Kazuha whispered through the darkness, permeating his thoughts abruptly

"What is it?"

"Could you…talk…to me" her voice was hesitant, almost nervous. He understood clearly that she was afraid for beyond justifiable reasons but she didn't seem to be scared in that sense. This anxiety was something different that he couldn't put his finger on

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked idiotically, internally punching himself for giving her such an open ended invitation

"Well…" he could almost feel the heat from her cheeks as she tried to speak "we…never finished what we were uh….talking a-about" Heiji raised an eyebrow in her direction

"What are you t-" he had hardly begun to question her when the memory cascaded back into the forefront of his mind like a wrecking ball. He had told her she was the most important person to him and then...nothing. That guy came in right after that and he hadn't been able to finish what he was saying. As he opened his mouth to speak a thought dawned on him 'what if she accepts me because of our situation. Many women have been known to make irrational decisions when they are in danger…'

"Kazuha…" he murmured. Her ear pricked up at the sound of his voice "I…I do have something important to tell you, but…" she felt her heart sink at his words "not now. Not here." His tone was definite and stern. She brought her hands to her chests and clenched them tightly, trying to maintain her composure

"Heiji why? What is it that you can't tell me?" she asked desperately, almost pleading with him

"I don't want all of this to affect your answer. If I tell you now then you might not answer with a clear head. Trust me, I'll tell, just as soon as we get out of here" Kazuha, despite being upset by the prospect of waiting smiled widely at the thought of what could be so important, or more specifically, what she hoped was so important

"Okay. But you know, last time you had something important to tell me…" her voice was almost teasing as she trailed off to allow him an opportunity to infer what she was talking about

"Oi I already told you, it was your stupid ponytail! Are you ever going to let that go!"

"Aho I would if you would stop lying about it!"

"I'm not lying about it you st-" Heiji's rage was quelled by another distant sound "Did you hear that?" Kazuha was still fuming with anger even after Heiji had obviously blown off their argument

"No" she spat out curtly "I do hear _you_ trying to get out of explaining yourself _again_!"

"Aho! I'm serious, it was the same scream as the ones from earlier" Kazuha closed her eyes to focus on the noise that was bound to resurface. Mere seconds later they heard the faint grunt of what sounded like a man.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know, but it sounds like its getting closer so we're probably going to find out"

* * *

"Ran" she looked at him panting and pulling the hair away from her eyes "Did you really have to hit him that hard? I think he might be dead" Ran glanced at the seemingly lifeless figure that was pressed up against the wall, slowly being pulled toward the ground by gravity

"Baka Shinichi he attacked me!" Shinichi snickered at her frustration. He gave him an angry glare and then softened her eyes at the victim of her powerful attack "Although, I might have gone a little far…"

"It's hard not to when you use the Front Axe Kick that senpai taught you" Ran nodded and them stopped abruptly. She swiveled her head and gave him a curious stare

"How did you know about that? I never mentioned that to you over the phone" Shinichi had forgotten a monumental fact: he still hadn't told Ran about his former identity.

"Oh uh well it was Conan! Yeah Conan called me and told about it when he mentioned you getting mugged at the festival" Ran's glare lightened but she still didn't look totally satisfied with his explanation

"If that's what happened why didn't you just call and ask me about it?" she seemed almost upset by his preference

"Ran it's not like that it's just…" Ran shot him a cute smile

"Its okay I understand, he is your relative after all and he idolizes you" Shinichi laughed nervously as he nodded in agreement 'That's right, mom said he was my cousin'.

"And what about that guy" Shinichi pointed to the other henchmen who was currently curled in a fetal position, groaning in pain as he clutched his abdomen. She chose not to respond but instead sent him a glare that contained a very clear message 'Shut up or you're next'. He put his hands up defensively as a means of communicating his comprehension of her not-so-hidden meaning. Her expression quickly softened and she turned her attention to the door which lied a little ways up ahead

"Shinichi shouldn't we..."

"Hai, let's keep going" Shinichi said as he started to walk forward past the two incapacitated guards. It didn't take long for them to come across the next door. This one had no lock and slid open automatically. Inside it was what appeared to be a lobby of sorts. It contained a fold out tables, a counter which was covered in various snack cakes and other individually wrapped foods. Next to it was a water cooler with a stack of cup standing on top of it and a coffee machine

"Shinichi…" Shinichi scanned the room with his usual scrutiny, taking in every detail. Before he could complete his inspection a door to their right flew open in unison with the sound of a flush. A man emerged from it, clad in all black.

"What the-"

"Shinichi!" Ran yelled in shock. The man seemed startled by her wailing and ran toward the door which was a few yards in front of them. 'I can't let him get away' with that thought in mind he turned the dial on his power shoes and pressed the button on his belt, revealing a soccer ball. He reached his leg to an almost 180 degree angle behind him and thrust it forward at the ball. The spherical object picked up an insatiable amount of speed and almost immediately made contact with the unfortunate man's head. He flew forward due to the ball's impact with his skull and slammed into the wall in front of him. Shinichi and Ran jogged over to the man who was now clearly unconscious 'That was too close' he thought as he wiped a few traces of sweat from his forehead 'I'll have to thank Hakase again for adjusting the size of these gadgets for me'

"That was amazing Shinichi! Those gadgets are just like Conan-kun's!" Shinichi smiled at her as he soaked in her praises 'These _are_ Conan's because I _was_ Conan'. He smiled again, this time much more genuinely 'was' he continued to meditate on that word with an almost uncharacteristically wide grin

* * *

"God Damnit!" Okiya roared, much to the terror of the other henchmen in the room with him. Those who had met him or been in the same room with him for more than five seconds knew that the agent codenamed Bourbon was a very subdued man, so to see him at this level of agitation was horrifying "How the hell do they keep getting past them, they have GUNS!" Okiya was two steps past infuriated at this point.

"Sir what do you want us to do?"

"Well we can't let them get here, so" a maniacal grin played on his lips "it looks like we'll have to let them have what they came for" the entire room of grunts turned to him with mystified expressions

"S-Sir?"

"Get those two out of that cell and bring them here. It's time we went and greeted our new guests"

**The streak is still alive. I posted this at 1150 Pacific. Sorry to cut it so close but I got hit with a little writer's block early in the day. And I know you guys must hate me for the cliffhangers but don't worry, next chapter its really goin' down. Plus, it's now 1030 a.m in New York and Kudo Yuusaku is waking up. Let's just say he's not in the best mood and he's got a bone to pick. Things keep on rollin' hope you're keeping up **

**thanks for reading**


	24. Meeting the Enemy P 2

"Sir" a muscularly built lackey addressed Okiya while struggling to hold Kazuha still

"I see. Good, then we're ready. You" he pointed to another faceless criminal dressed in black that was standing near the main entrance to the room "open the door" The grunt nodded and pulled a lever down which unsealed the airlock on the door. After a few seconds the sliding doors opened and revealed a white hallway. The whole corridor was white, from the tile to the paint on the walls and even the protruding shapes on the walls which appeared to be paintings or canvas' that were painted over in white. Heiji and Kazuha were both being held firmly by their arms which were behind them. Their wrists were tied together by a thinner rope and they each had a burlap sack over their head.

"Where the hell are you taking us!" Heiji screamed vehemently. Okiya was walking ahead of them with his hands behind his back. Next to him were two more black clad men with a similar build to his each holding a firearm. One held a shotgun while the other held a standard 9" pistol.

"I told you, the reason I needed you was to get to Kudo. Now that he's here all I have to do is hold a gun to your head and he'll surrender. Then I can take him to my superior and that will be that" Heiji tightened his fists and gritted his teeth. This was not only a shot at his best friend but a shot at his pride

"You really think he'll let you have him so easily?" Okiya laughed heartily at the question

"Just in case he doesn't, I suppose we'll have to take that beautiful Mouri-chan from him as well"

"Ran-chan's here?" Kazuha exclaimed involuntarily

"You bastard!" Heiji roared

"Calm down would you? I am a man of my word, so, as long as you don't see anything you're not supposed to you and your girlfriend will be set free" Despite his absolute disdain for the situation Heiji couldn't help but sigh a small breath of relief, not so much for himself but more for her

"Sir" a voice came through on the headset he was wearing

"Go ahead"

"They are in the next room directly north of you"

"Good" Okiya put an open hand in the air to signal a halt to his group. Once everyone had stopped the subtle tapping of feet could be heard in their vicinity. Okiya grinned maliciously as he drew his pistol and aimed it at the doorway along with the other two armed men at his sides. Okiya cocked his gun, which did not go unnoticed by Heiji acute hearing

"Kudo! Kudo run it's a tr-" before he could finish his warning a large fist was rammed into his gut. He coughed as he fell to the ground with no sign of a struggle. The henchmen grabbed his seemingly lifeless body and place it on a table behind them. Having heard all of the commotion Kazuha was frantic and shaking but nevertheless stayed quiet for fear of a similar fate

* * *

"Shinichi where do you think they are?" Ran asked warily, not wanting to put anymore stress on him

"I don't know anything about this place so it's hard to say. But there's only one way to find out, we have to keep moving" Ran consented to his decision as they opened the next door. What met them was enough to send Shinichi's heart into his throat and Ran into unconsciousness

"Ran!" Shinichi yelled with concern as she fell to the ground

"Don't worry about her she's only passed out from shock and fatigue. Why don't you have a seat, we have matters to discuss" Shinichi gulped but maintained his confident demeanor

"Obviously I don't have much choice." Okiya pointed his gun toward a table with two seats that were facing one another. Shinichi understood the notion and sat down in one of the chairs. Okiya followed suit with his gun still drawn. Once they were both seated Okiya tossed the gun on the table between them. Shinichi stared at the gun with wide eyes, instantly going to work mentally.

"Don't bother. These two men have their weapons loaded and aimed at you and your lovely friend's heads" Shinichi turned his head violently and choked in fear as his eyes fell on Ran's beautiful form lying on the ground with a shotgun barrel resting on her head

"What do you want?" Shinichi asked angrily

"It's not what I _want_, it's what I must _do_. I have been given explicit order to deliver you to my superior in Panay" Shinichi raised an eyebrow at the mention of the location

"You mean the coastal city in the Philippines?"

"Precisely. However, I was given no explicit orders pertaining to your friends. I could let them go right now, well, except her" He pointed an ominous finger toward Ran

"What do you mean you can't let her go? I won't let you lay a hand on her!" Shinichi's frustration was beginning to boil over and the implied threat toward his lady love was not helping matters

"She has already seen our hideout. She knows it's location, as do her parents"

"What have you done with Mouri-san and Eri-san?" he solicited hurriedly

"Nothing yet, they are currently in a holding cell. However" Okiya allowed the word to hang in the air between for a few seconds in order to heighten Shinichi's interest "there is a way to ensure the well-being of all the aforementioned individuals. It would require you to surrender yourself to our control with no struggle. If you turn yourself over willingly, I will let all of these people go free" Shinichi contemplated the option thoroughly. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that such an agreement would most likely lead to his death. Nevertheless the prospect of saving everyone else was too much to pass up

"How do I Know you'll hold to your end of the bargain?"

"You don't, you'll simply have to trust me. You don't really have any other options though. If you resist, Mouri Ran will die. If you resist further Hattori Heiji will die and so on and so forth. Do you understand your predicament Kudo Shinichi?" the satisfaction in Okiya's smile made Shinichi physically ill. He wanted to vomit at the thought of being held captive the likes of him but he was right, there really weren't any other options

"Fine. You can have me, but I want visual confirmation that everyone else has left here safely." Okiya's grin grew wider

"Of course, come with me. You three, escort these people outside the base. You, go to the second floor containment room and release Mouri and Kisaki from their cell. Take them out to their vehicle to meet the others. Make sure they understand they are being cordially requested to depart from the premesis" the men saluted and got to work. Okiya meanwhile rose from his seat, reclaiming his firearm and gestured for Shinichi to walk beside him.

"So Haibara was right after all" Shinichi whispered to himself, just loudly enough for Okiya to detect it

"You mean Sherry?" he asked with a menacing smile

"You-"

"Of course we knew, how do you think we found you? We've been pursuing her since the moment she left. We began to have suspicions about a malfunction in the APTX shortly after she escaped and we verified them with your existence as well as hers. Edogawa Conan, that was pretty clever" Shinichi grimaced at the pleasant nature with which the man beside him was attempting to make conversation

"What do you want with me anyway?" Shinichi asked, although he had a fairly certain idea

"Don't count yourself so special. We're in the process of hunting down dozens of victims who ingested the APTX. People that we'd written off as deceased are now threats to our syndicate. One child that says he's an adult that was miniaturized by a pill is no threat. But when there are thirty or forty of them, suddenly there's a degree of validity to the argument which requires investigation. And the reality is, although the drug is supposed to be untraceable, it was an incomplete formula so it most likely has other flaws in its design."

"So if you were to allow the victims to roam free…"

"Precisely, one might have blood tested by a more than proficient specialist and they just might find traces of the drug. That would not bode well for our Organization"

"So you plan to eradicate every person that came in contact with the APTX" Okiya nodded

"Exactly" Shinichi scowled at the though of all those people being murdered just so an evil crime syndicate could cover their blood drenched tracks. As he mulled over all of the circumstances of his situation Okiya suddenly nudged him. Shinichi looked up and saw a large glass door with white metal panes

"What is this?" he asked curtly

"It's our monitoring and control room. This is how I will assure you that your friends are safe. Observe" as they entered the large room which was currently vacant Shinichi noticed the vast number of screens that draped the walls "Here" Okiya declared pointed to a screen on the far left of the wall. Shinichi walked over and noticed it was a night vision camera.

"Where is this camera?"

"The side of the building where you so cleverly stored your vehicle. Currently the Mouri family, Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha are all being escorted there. Once there they will be asked politely to vacate the premises. Once they-" Okiya cut him self off mid sentence "Oh, well what is this?" he asked himself mischievously. Shinichi looked over his shoulder and almost gasped

"How did she get here?" Shinichi asked aloud

"I assure you I don't know, what I do know is that she just so happens to be my next target"

"You can't! Don't do it, you have me, let her go" Okiya scoffed at him

"You can't be serious; she is the single largest threat to the safety of our organization. She is a filthy traitor and I will enjoy ending her little charade" as he finished he pressed a button on the headet he was wearing "Hello. Yes, I want you to go to Main Entrance C and apprehend the young girl. She is Sherry. No, do not kill her, I want her alive, I will deliver them both to _him_. Out"

"I won't let you drag her into this" Shinichi said relatively calmly as he knelt down inconspicuously to turn the dial on his shoes. As his fingers reached the dial Okiya pulled a handheld stun gun from his pocket and pressed it firmly into Shinichi's neck. Shinichi twitched for a few seconds before falling down and sprawling out on the floor

"I'm so sorry, but those shoes have been quite bothersome in the past, as have you. There will be no heroics today, Kudo Shinichi"

* * *

"H-Heiji"

"Shut up if you want to live" a grunt snorted angrily at the faint sound of Kazuha's voice

"I-Is he okay?"

"I told you to shut up!" the man was becoming increasingly irate and Kazuha saw it best to just keep quiet. She had grown more and more worried as they trudged on because she hadn't heard his voice. She had heard them hit him and she was certain he had been knocked out but nonetheless she wanted to know that he was alright. As they walked on their speed was gradually picking up, causing Kazuha to nearly trip several times "Stay on your feet!" the man screamed. She struggled to oblige him but managed and soon she felt the cool night air on her skin. She could feel the earth beneath her feet and then she heard the most uplifting sound she'd heard in hours

* * *

"Oi what the hell is going on!" Kogoro barked as a black clad thug held a gun to his head and forced him to walk toward their car. Once they were at the vehicle Eri noticed two people leaning up against the car while a third one was lying on the ground across their feet. As she drew closer she started to make out some sort of bag on the heads of the two against the car. The one on the ground she couldn't see very well

"Who are they? And why do those two have bags on their heads?" As she asked this a large hand planted itself on her back and pushed her forward toward the car along with Kogoro

"Listen up. You are to get into your car and drive away right now. If you attempt to come back here or hesitate even for a second we will detonate the C4 that's strapped to the bottom of your car. Once we know you are safely off of the premises we will deactivate the detonator. Do you understand?" Kogoro and Eri nodded fearfully and quickly opened the doors to the car

"What ab-"

"Those two are Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha" he declared as he indicated the two teenagers resting against the side of the car.

"What about that one?" Eri posed the question as she pointed toward the figure lying on the ground

"You should recognize her" the lackey insinuated with a heartless chuckle. Eri took a few steps closer and bent down to see the person's face. Suddenly her eyes were wide and she began to shake the body

"Eri what the hell are you doing?" Kogoro asked as his wife continued to violently swing the seemingly lifeless being by the shoulders

"It's Ran and she's unconscious!" Kogoro's curved his eyebrows and looked back at the man that had brought them there

"What happened to them?" Kogoro inquired sternly as fury bubbled deep inside him

"Hattori and your daughter are unconscious. No more questions, vacate the property now" Kogoro chose not to acknowledge the brutish man and instead began loading Heiji into the car. Once Heiji was positioned in the backseat on the passenger side and his wrists were untied, Kogoro removed the bag on his head and moved to grab Ran. Kogoro moved Heiji to the middle seat in order squeeze Ran into the passenger side seat. Meanwhile Eri had already undone Kazuha's restraints and guided her into the seat beside Heiji and was working on removing her bag as well. Once the bag was off Kazuha swung her head around frantically to find Heiji. As her gaze fell on his tired face she couldn't help but sob. She hadn't been able to look at him throughout the entire ordeal but now he was right next to her. She reached over and ran her fingers delicately over his face, verifying the reality of their situation. Once she came to realize that he was really there she blushed furiously and pulled her arms back. She looked away from him momentarily out of sheer embarrassment but soon found her eyes locked on his face again. As the car pulled away she let her head come to rest on his shoulder and breathed a contented sigh.

* * *

'What am I doing?' Haibara thought as she walked through the large doorway that led into the barn. She looked around but could see nothing except for a few select moonbeams which let themselves in through small cracks in the walls. She put a hand on her wrist but felt nothing except skin 'I left my watch in the car' she thought as she felt around in the area, trying to gain her bearings in the pitch black room. As her hands touched the various objects in the barn they suddenly fell on something odd. It was soft and warm but the texture was something like… 'Denim.' As the thought crossed her mind she felt and arm swing around her body and a cloth on her mouth. She struggled against the superior force while holding her breath but after no more than ten seconds she succumbed to the attacker and chloroform filled her lungs as her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

"There" Okiya said with a proud grin on his face as he stared at Shinichi who was now bound by the wrists and ankles and tied to a chair. As he turned around to face the screens he noticed a car pulling away from the hideout. As he watched the car attentively a voice rang in his ear

"Sir"

"What is it?"

"We have Sherry" Okiya smirked wickedly

"Good, bring her to the control room, I'll speak to her personally before we leave."

"Leave sir?"

"Three of those five people that just left know that we're here, we can't very well remain here can we?"

"I understand. How long before we evacuate the base?"

"Thirty minutes"

"I'll alert everyone" As their conversation ended he turned around and gazed deeply at Shinichi

"You know, we could kill him right now" Okiya said to himself aloud

"You know _he_ wouldn't like that, and besides, if we're lucky _he'll_ let us finish off Sherry"

"I doubt that, Gin will have a bullet in her head before we even get to Panay" He laughed aloud to himself

"I agree. Nevertheless you know _he _would prefer this one alive" Okiay nodded in defeated

"You're right I suppose. And besides, I still have this" he began to scoff to himself maniacally as he lifted a small box off of the table in front of him and held it up. The box had two lights on the top of it, each with a switch on the front of the box adjacent to the light.

"You are an awful human being Okiya" he laughed to himself and he ran his fingers along the contours of the detonator

"Why thank you, Bourbon"

* * *

As dastardly sunlight flooded the living of his house Yuusaku could not help but smile at the warmth of the sun on his body. The light danced on his eyes, forcing them open. He lifted his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes thoroughly. He blinked a few times to gain some visual focus before he rose from the couch he had slept on. Once on his feet he stretched his body and heard a number of joints and bones crack. As he stretched he let out a loud and extensive yawn and scratched the back of his neck. He then proceeded to the kitchen where he reached for a glass in the cupboard and filled it with water. He poured the soothing down his throat and refilled the glass again. This time he sipped more moderately at as he grabbed as he walked toward the front door. He opened the door and took a deep breath, allowing the morning air to fill his lungs. He looked down and saw a neatly bound newspaper lying just in front of his doormat. He bent down and picked it up and returned inside. He walked toward the kitchen table and opened up the paper as he did every morning. The headline read

**Bombing at Sheraton Hotel in New York City. No Fatalities Reported**

And then, reality set in.

* * *

**Just hit 70,000 words AND 2200 views so please keep reading. I don't mean to deter you but there really is alot more to go so if you like this story stay diligent and keep reading**


	25. Four Hours Later

"Augh!" Heiji gasped as his eyes fluttered open. The instant he regained consciousness he was reminded of his reason for being unconscious in the first place by the unbearable soreness in his abdomen. He thrust his hands to his stomach, gripping himself tightly in an effort to somehow alleviate the pain. His agony was thrown to the wayside, however, when words of concern came pouring into his ears in a hushed, gentle tone

"Heiji? Heiji are you awake? Heiji!" Kazuha had fallen asleep sitting up in front of the couch while waiting for Heiji to awaken. She was, of course, jarred out of her slumber by a loud, masculine scream in her ear

"K-Kazuha? What happened, where are we?"

"We're at the Detective Agency. Ran-chan insisted we stay here at least for tonight" Heiji looked around the room, still in a daze. He opened his mouth to ask what had happened to him but stopped himself after answering his own question. 'That's right, the big guy knocked me out'. As he remembered the incident another burning question entered his mind

"Kazuha what happened to Kudo!" he solicited, leaping up to face her only to be halted by the pain in his gut

"Heiji don't move around too much that guy hit you really hard" Kazuha suggested with soft eyes, placing her hands on his soar midsection to sooth his pain as best she could. Heiji blushed momentarily at the contact before refocusing his thoughts

"Kazuha, what happened to Kudo?" he asked in a calmer voice

"He…we never even saw him. Right after you were knocked unconscious that creepy guy that talked to us in our cell before told him that if he wanted the rest of us to live he would have to surrender to them" Kazuha bit her lip as she retold the story. Heiji had nothing to say and simply remained silent. Once Kazuha regained her composure she continued "Everyone else is fine and Mouri-san already called the police and told them where to go. A bomb squad had to come here remove a C4 charge that was placed under our car" Heiji processed all of the information before responding

"So the police are there?" Kazuha nodded with hazy eyes

"Hai, but when they arrived the barn was already on fire and the ranch was empty" Heiji grimaced at the information

"Kudo told me about that; those guys employ a scorched earth theory. They'll burn down anything that can be used as evidence" Kazuha nodded

"We learned about that in history class. The Soviet Army used that against the Nazi invaders in World War Two." Heiji nodded back in agreement. They were both quiet for a few seconds after that comment until Kazuha spoke up again in a tone that housed still active fears about the situation they'd narrowly escaped "So…that was them, the people that made Kudo-kun…ya' know….small" Heiji's eyes widened and he literally jumped off of the couch and to his feet

"What are you talking who said something stupid like that" he yelled nervously. When he realized how insinuating his outburst was he started laughing conspicuously and scratching the back of his head

"Heiji its okay, we all know about it now" Heiji's demeanor changed into a deathly serious one as he lowered his hands and locked eyes with Kazuha

"Who told you?"

"Agasa did. When the police arrived they found him passed out in the driver seat of his Beetle. They found out he was suffering from a high fever and rushed him to the hospital. Mouri-san and Ran-chan went to see him while Eri-san stayed here with us" Heiji's eyes moved away from her and darted toward the ground as his hand grasped his chin contemplatively. He mulled over the new development for a couple of seconds before looking up at Kazuha again, this time with a more puzzled air

"Kazuha, how long have I been out?" Kazuha hesitated, finding it difficult to speak with Heiji intense stare boring holes in her eyes

"I um…four hours…."

* * *

As Ran sat outside Agasa's hospital room she felt a twinge of guilt because her thoughts were hardly on Agasa at all.

**~Flashback~**

"Mouri-kun, Ran-kun, what are you doing here?" Agasa asked, pleasantly surprised by the audience he had next to his bed

"We heard they found you passed out, we wanted to see if you were okay"

"Arigato, I feel a little better with you here" All three of them shared a smile. This warm atmosphere did not last too long however

"I need to ask you, why were you there at that abandoned barn in the first place?" Kogoro's face became a little more serious. Agasa opened his mouth to answer until a wave of terror washed over him and changed his countenance completely

"Ai-kun! Where's Ai-kun!" He asked frantically

"Hakase?" Ran looked confused as he bellowed out for the young girl. Agasa stared up at Ran who returned his gaze with a curious expression

"Agasa-san" Kogoro started ominously "you were alone when the police found you" Agasa's eyed widened in horror at the prospects of the statement

"Ai-kun…" he mumbled to himself somberly. Agasa appeared to become lost in his own thoughts until Ran readdressed him

"Hakase, you should know…" Ran pressed her eyes shut as a single tear ran down the right side of her face "Shinichi is missing. He never came back after we went into that place" Ran clenched her fist tightly in front of her chest while Kogoro wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Agasa felt the sting of remorse as he imagined two of the important people in his life being hurt or worse… 'wait' Agasa thought with a sudden flash of clarity 'Shinichi and Ai-kun were both taken…by the same people…'

"Ran-kun!" Agasa exclaimed in an eccentric tone. Ran was caught off guard by the excitement in his voice and was almost infuriated by it

"What is it?" she asked with uncertainty

"I may know who has taken Ai-kun and Shinichi" Ran eyes widened with hope

"Tell us everything" Kogoro chimed in as the topic suddenly peaked his interest

"First, I have to tell you both something that may be difficult for you to hear…"

**~End Flashback~**

'Shinichi…' Ran thought somberly 'all this time…all this time you were so close to me. You were always near me, always….lying to me.' Her pessimistic thought pattern was cut off temporarily by a buzzing in her pocket. She lifted the phone from her pocket and checked the call I.D to see it was Kazuha

"Kazuha-chan?"

"Ran-chan! Heiji is awake, I told him everything. He said he needs to speak to Agasa urgently, is he awake?" Ran stood and walked to Agasa's hospital room door and peeked in through the small clear window that was around her eye level

"Hai, he is awake and speaking with Otosan. Should I give him the phone?"

"Hold on" Ran giggled as Kazuha screamed Heiji name, apparently startling him. He retorted with an ear shattering 'Aho' which drew a response from Eri who, due to lack of sleep, was slightly irritable. Ran couldn't help but laugh openly as her mother roared a command of silence at the two teenagers who promptly ceased their bickering

"Uh neechan'…c-could I speak to Agasa?" Heiji requested nervously, still seemingly shaken by Eri's unhinged outburst

"Hai hold on a sec" Ran strode into the room and handed Agasa the cell phone with a smile

"Ran-kun who is it?"

"It's Hattori-kun, he said he needed to speak with you urgently" Agasa's countenance took on a degree of seriousness as he accepted the mobile phone

"Hattori-kun…mhm…right…of course! You should be able to get into my house through the back door, go now and hurry!" Agasa clapped the phone shut and handed it back to Ran who was standing by with a inquisitive stare

"What happened?" Kogoro asked directly

"Hattori-kun is going to my house to get the tracking receiver I have for my specialized glasses. In the past Ai-kun has taken the glasses with her into various situations solely for that purpose. If she has the glasses, we can track their location" Kogoro nodded while Ran was on the verge of bursting at the seams. This was the most hopeful she had been since the moment she came to and realized Shinichi wasn't with her

* * *

"Kazuha I have to go I'll be back soon" Heiji stated curtly as he jogged toward the door. His progress was impeded however by an iron grip on his forearm. Heiji whipped his head around to find Kazuha almost in tears with a desperate look in her eye

"Heiji…" she stared, trying to maintain her composure but gradually failing "don't…don't leave me alone. You can't leave me…" her words were like daggers in his chest and he knew he wouldn't be able to say no. He slowly retracted his arm toward his body, drawing her closer to him in the process. Once she was close enough he took his free arm and wrapped it firmly around her torso

"Aho, you worry too much" he whispered with a gentle smile, one much more subdued than his usual arrogant grin.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Eri asked with an eyebrow raised and a confident smirk. Heiji and Kazuha both turned to face her as she rose from behind Kogoro's desk "Were you planning on running there?" Heiji smacked himself on the forehead forcefully

"Dammit that's right we rode the train to get here"

"Well it looks like I'll have to drive. Where are we going?" Kazuha shared in Eri's curiosity as she had been so worked with his leaving in general it had never occurred to her to inquire where it was he was going

"We're going to Agasa's"

* * *

It had been a long four hours for Yuusaku. He been torn about whether or not to call in his various law enforcement connections. After much meditation he concluded that this was not a time for pride and he called everyone he knew, from FBI to CIA to Interpol and even a few informants who were what some people considered spies. Every one of these conversations began the same way

"I'm not calling for assistance, only information" Despite their uncertainty, these men and women would trust Yuusaku at his word and oblige him with any data they had. His fax machine had been running almost non-stop. He had accumulated upwards of a hundred pages of files. These files were a stunning array of government documents, covert operation records and even some case files from international investigation, particularly those that involved Japan. While all of this information was helpful, his most valuable resource ended up being an old friend who had led a number of undercover operations in Japan that aimed to target and infiltrate the syndicate referred to as the Black Organization: James Black

**~Flashback~**

"James, it's been a while" Yuusaku greeted jovially

"Indeed it has. What can I do for you today?"

"It's about the organization you are currently tracking in Japan"

"I see. Well as you know it would be outside of protocol for me to-"

"James they killed Yukiko. I need your help" James was stunned by the news and sympathized deeply with his old friend

"Okay Yuusaku, what is it you need to know"

"Everything, I need to know where they are stationed, how well they are funded, if they have any weaknesses…" James was silent for a moment as he organized his answers

"Well as of now we only know of two bases. The reality is they probably have dozens of bases for operation all across the globe. The two we are away of are in Tokyo and Panay"

"Tokyo?"

"Yes. It seems they had been using an abandoned farm to house some of their monitoring operations"

"James what do you mean 'had'?"

"Approximately four hours ago the base in question was set on fire and abandoned. This is not uncommon with them; they are experts in the art of eliminating trace evidence"

"I see. So then this base in Panay, do have coordinates for it?" James was quiet on the other line for a moderate expanse of time

"Yuusaku, as your friend, I can't consent to you doing something as drastic as a one man invasion of such a high powered crime organization. From what our research says, the base in Panay is one of their largest due to the lack of government pressure in the Philippines."

"James any decision I make will be rational and well thought out, you know that." James heaved a sigh of defeat

"I'll…send you the exact location. But I'm warning you sincerely, this is too big for one man. We've been shadowing these people for years and they are a power beyond belief."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well they have managed to fund and maintain themselves for longer than I've been an agent in the FBI, not to mention the fact they plan, commit and cover up violent crimes on a daily basis that manage to go unsolved"

"No wonder it's taken Shinichi so long to take action against them…"

"The Organization moves like a fox, Yuusaku. They attack and leave gallons of blood in their wake, and yet, there's never a sign of them or their involvement. Please Yuusaku, consider what it is you're up against"

"I will, thank you for your concern, and thank you for your help"

"Listen, if I heard any word about you moving in on that base I will have agents standing by to assist you. I won't have you barging in their alone" Yuusaku grinned at the telephone

"Arigato, James-san"

**~End Flashback~**

Ever since that call Yuusaku had been hard at work, trying to submerse himself in as much material involving the crime syndicate as possible. Despite his most prominent logical objections his mid was already made up

'It has to be tonight'

**My sincerest apologies, I was 23 minutes late in posting this so technically my streak is broken. No biggie though. In my defense a friend of mine just got a one month trial subscription to netflix so i watched a few movies today and lost track of time. Hey has anyone seen Frozen? that movie was pretty messed up. Well anyway hope you enjoy and keep reading and/or reviewing, i appreciate solid criticism so don't be afraid to point out my mistakes. And for the record, so off the names may be incorrect simply because I don't how certain characters refer to one another, like Kazuha and Eri or Kogoro and Agasa.**


	26. Shove Off

"Ugh…" a faint voice grunted into the darkness that surrounded her

"Good you're awake" a kind masculine voice responded. He reached out and touched her leg to make his presence known. She jumped at the contact but calmed once she became aware of who it was that was touching her

"Kudo-kun?" she could feel the man beside her smile warmly

"Where are we?" the girl asked drowsily

"I don't know. I know we're in a cargo crate but aside from that I have no idea" the girl tried to stand up but was pinned the ground by the still prevalent immobility of her legs

"W-What…happened?" the young man looked over in the direction. He inched himself toward her and as he passed by a stream of light that was filtering through via a bullet sized hole she could clearly see his face. He looked worn, although not physically injured. She could see clearly the two holes in next that were most likely the result of a stun gun. When he finally got within a few feet of her he plopped down and leaned against the side of cargo crate.

"Well Okiya turned to be one of them and he forced me to willingly be taken captive in exchange for Hattoi, Kazuha-chan, Mouri-san, Eri-san and Ran. However once I saw you approaching the base on one of their cameras I tried to stop him. Then he stunned me and I woke up here. I don't know what happened to you, I just know that you're here now and we need to get out of here"

"We shouldn't be here too much longer" Shinichi looked over at her with a curious gaze

"Hmm?" the girl slowly removed an item from the pocket in the interior of the jacket she was wearing. She held out the item and the beam of light reflected off at an angle as it hit

"Those are-"

"The glasses Hakase made. They should be able to track us as long as we're still in Japan" the young man couldn't help but grin widely at the prospect of freedom

* * *

"Baka Wataru" Sato growled angrily to herself. 'He said he would call and yet it's nearly midnight and no call yet.' As she continued to brood on the couch with her arm crossed and her foot tapping on the ground impatiently a buzz came from her pocket. She swiftly removed the phone from her pocket and raise it to her ear

"S-Sato-san?" Takagi mumbled over the line, already aware of his blunder

"Takagi-kun…." She muttered with her teeth gritted and explosion rage on the horizon

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to call but we've been on an important case" Normally this excuse would have been acceptable, but they were engaged now and that was not going to cut it

"Is this how it's always going to be…" Sato asked in a low tone, trying to hold back the tears which were fairly uncommon to her

"Miwako…" he trailed off, unable to conjure up an appropriate response

"when we're…married?" Takagi eyes shot open when she finished her query. Despite him proposing and her accepting, he hadn't had a moment of peace to really piece together what that meant. This was the first time he had ever heard the word 'married' used to describe the two of them, even if it was hypothetical.

"I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm getting off in a few minutes and I know it's late but can I…come see you?" He asked nervously, fearing the anger that might still be lingering. Truth be told Sato wasn't really angry at all, just worried. Being an officer's wife can even be difficult for an officer

"I'd like that" she replied sweetly. Takagi felt his heart shoot into his throat at the tone of her words. She sounded so…cute

"O-O-Okay I'll be over there in thirty minutes. I have to go now, bye" Sato didn't bother answering since she knew very well he had already hung up. She set her phone down and laid back down on the couch. She exhaled deeply and clicked on the television, trying valiantly to distract herself from the anticipation she felt building in her chest

* * *

"Okay we're here. Now tell us why we're here" Eri said authoritatively. Heiji decided to respond to her question in a nonverbal fashion. As Kazuha opened her mouth to voice her mutual interest Heiji sped off around the house and before either of the two women could chase him or question his actions his head was already poking out the front door

"Come on" he commanded, beckoning them into the house. They rolled their eyes at his attempt at clout. They were only a step inside the house before he was already standing in front of them "Got it" Kazuha and Eri looked at one another and then back at him

"Got what?" Kazuha asked

"Come on" he said as he walked past the two dumbfounded females

"Hattori Heiji!" Kazuha screamed vehemently. Heiji nearly left the ground he was standing on as he turned back to face the now furious Kazuha

"What do you want Aho! And why are you screaming at me!" Kazuha's fists clenched as she glared hatefully at Heiji who in tern softened his expression into one of innocent confusion

"What is it you retrieved from the house?" Eri asked calmly, cutting off the volatile Kazuha who was preparing to roar the same or a similar question

"Oh just these" Heiji returned nonchalantly as he held up the circular, compass-like object. The device was turned off so the screen was black which only confused the two on looking ladies further

"Heiji what is that and why did we have to come here so suddenly to get it?" Heiji answered her question with a cocky smirk

"It's a tracker. We may be able to find that little girl with this. We're assuming Kudo is with her so by finding her we find Kudo" Kazuha and Eri shared an equally flabbergasted expression

"So with that thing…we can find Kudo-kun and Ai-chan?"

"Yes, but we need to go now, come on" Eri and Kazuha jogged to the car and quickly all three of them entered. As Eri sat down in the driver seat she stopped as she inserted the key in the ignition and turned to Heiji who was in the passenger seat

"Where are we going now?"

"To the hospital where Agasa's being held. I don't know how to work this thing but he does" Eri nodded in agreement, turned the key and drove off

* * *

"Gin" Okiya stared tersely

"What is it Bourbon?"

"I have Kudo Shinichi and Sherry in my possession" Gin could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of Sherry's detainment

"Excellent. Where are you currently?"

"I am at the Beika Harbor. I have the two captives locked in a cargo hold."

"Good. I'll arrange for a ship to pick you and your 'cargo' up. When you arrive in Panay alert me and I will have you escorted to the base"

"Right. Where are you now?"

"Still in New York. I will be at Panay by tomorrow"

"Right"

"And Bourbon"

"Hai"

"Keep her alive. I want her for myself"

"Right" And with that Okiya hung up

"I told you Bourbon" Okiya said to himself confidently

"You were right. It's not surprising he wants to kill so badly after what she did" Okiya nodded

"True, it is understandable. However that is not our concern. What should we do until that ship comes?"

"Well we haven't eaten in over a day"

"True. I suppose with these guys here to watch the 'cargo' we should be okay to leave" Okiya greed with himself and walked over to the group of guards who were conversing amongst themselves

"I'm leaving to eat. I should be back in an hour. Do not let anyone or anything near this crate, kill on sight" The four men all nodded in unison and Okiya left them

* * *

Yuusaku was been hard at work planning his invasion strategy when his phone began to buzz on his desk. He picked the phone and wasn't too surprised to see that the number was unknown. He had come to expect this considering most of the people he had talked to in the past few hours were higher ups in various government agencies. He opened and lifted it to his ear

"This is Kudo Yuusaku, who is this?" he asked in a business-like manner

"Someone who wished to remain anonymous" the voice on the other line was blocked by a voice box. The instrument made whoever was speaking sound like a hoarse voiced man

"Who do you work for?" Yuusaku returned

"That's of no concern to you. I have information regarding your plans for the evening" Yuusaku gaped and a bead of sweat came running down the side of his head along his jawline

"How can I trust you?" He solicited with genuine interest

"You don't have much of a choice. I will give you this insight and you can do with it what you wish. The men that are responsible for your wife's death are leaving for the Philippines at 8:30 p.m. They are flying out of John F. Kennedy Airport and should arrive in Panay around 10 p.m. They are currently staying at the Embassy Suites in Albany. That's all I can say to you at this time. Goodbye Kudo-san" Yuusaku opened with mouth to urge a continuation of the conversation but was cut off by the sound of the dial tone.

"Dammit" he cursed out loud as he clamped his phone shut and tossed back onto the desk. He leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information. Unfortunately this information brought to life more questions than it did solutions 'Who was that? How did they know about my plans? How did they know about Yukiko?' These thought swirled forcefully in his head, but slowly the doubts began to give way to the possibilities 'What if that information is legitimate? It's worth checking on. That person knew about their base in the Philippines so they might be an inside member. Regardless I can't afford to let an opportunity like this go unchecked.' With an air of determination Yuusaku bolted up the stairs of his house to his bedroom and opened a suitcase. As he threw his clothes into the luggage bag he stumbled on an outfit that had gathered dust since its last use over a year before. He removed the cloak and mask from the closet and held them out in front of him, carefully analyzing the details of each item. With a smirk he folded the cape and threw it into the bag then placed the mask on top of it

**Sorry for the short chapter but don't fret my faithful followers for tomorrow I'm going to an all day Lord of the Rings marathon with my church which means...I'll be doing alot of writing because frankly those movies aren't that exciting. So hopefully I will have at least two chapters posted tomorrow but cross your fingers I might be able to pull out three or four, we'll see. **

**2 notes, just for the sake of reader enjoyment: 1) if you're trying to picture the voice on the other end of the line talking to Yuusaku, imagine the voice of the guy from 'Saw'. I was basically saying that the person is hiding their voice using a filter, in case that wasn't communicated. **

**2) As i explained earlier the time zones in this story are out of whack but essentially all you need to be aware of is that the Philippines are one hour behind Japan. Keep in mind, for sake of argument we're pretending New York is 9 hours ahead of Japan and 8 hours ahead of the Philippines. Sorry for the bit of confusion**


	27. Stalker Status

"Hattori-kun?" Ran questioned as a thin tan-skinned man came sprinting down the corridor of the hospital toward her. Before she could raise a hand to object he had already run by her and thrown open the door to Agasa's room. As she stood perplexed, still trying to assimilate what had just occurred she caught sight of two familiar faces walking briskly toward her. She smiled at their presence and waited for them to get to her

"Ran-chan!" Kazuha squeaked cheerfully. Ran, despite all of the pessimistic thoughts she'd been having was still able to enjoy the company of her friend and her mother

"How is he?" Eri asked seriously

"He's doing fine now. The doctor said he should be up and moving by tomorrow"

"So what exactly happened to him?"

"According to Agasa he said he accidental got some immuno-suppressant in his system which made him feverish. When I asked him why he had that he just shrugged and said something like 'old people do strange things'." Eri nodded with a hand on her chin as she processed the information. After a moment of silence Ran gestured for the other two ladies to go with her to enter the hospital room. They consented and together they walked in

"So if you were to-" Heiji stopped himself when he heard the door open. He turned and gave Kazuha an annoyed look "Aho I told you to wait outside with 'neechan!" Kazuha felt a vein pulsate in her forehead

"You're the Aho! Stop being so secretive! We've seen what happens when people keep secrets like that-" Kazuha stopped abruptly after finishing her statement and turned penis to Ran who was trying her best maintain a plastic smile. Heiji shot Kazuha an angry glare while Kogoro and Eri looked sympathetically at their daughter

"Ran…" Eri trailed off, unable to produce any words of value

"Its okay kasan', really. I believe he must have had a good reason for everything" Ran's eyes were starting to puff up, which only served to further unnerve her mother and father as well as the others in the room. Ran raised a hand to her face and began to wipe away the tears hadn't even begun to flow out yet. Her mother rushed to her and wrapped her in an embrace from the front, forcing Ran's head into her shoulder. Ran quickly accepting the embrace and flung her arms around the outside of her mother. Eri started to gently stroke Ran's hair which seemed to calm her down. Seeing that Ran had stopped crying Eri leaned her down to whisper something in her ear

"Let's go outside and talk, ne?" Ran nodded into her mother's shoulder and begrudgingly broke their hug. They both left the room without so much as a glance at any of people that were surrounding them. Once the door had closed behind them Kazuha took a seat on a chair in the corner of the room. Heiji considered making a snide remark about her ability to make everyone around her cry, but refrained and instead strode over to her. He approached her but did not kneel down to her eye level. Instead he continued to stand before her, looming over her. Kazuha felt his burning presence and reluctantly looked up at him. Once he had her attention he locked their eyes and spoke softly

"You're right. I'm…sorry. I just didn't you too worry, you already worry too much Aho" he gave her a genuine smile and she returned it joyously. After all, it was a rare sight to see Hattori Heiji, Great Detective of the West, concede in an argument. He turned around to go back to Agasa and she chose not to stop him. Instead she sat quietly and enjoyed the mental image of his handsome smile and searing stare

"Ran, I know you're not alright so tell me what's bothering you" Ran ducked her head down, allowing her bangs to fall gracefully over the top half of her face

"He was always there…" she started with a dark tone, much to the surprise of her mother "always watching over me…." Eri was puzzled by her daughter's words. Although the words themselves seemed to defend Shinichi, the manner in which she presented them said otherwise "He watched me cry over him. He watched me lose sleep over him. He watched sit by the phone, waiting for a call." Eri could not see her daughter's eyes but she could see tears resurfacing as they fell from her face and contacted the ground beneath her

"But Ran, that means all those times when he protected you and kept you safe; all the times he comforted you when you were sad, those were him. He cared deeply for you and I believe he still does" Eri felt confident that her words would soothe away her daughters worries. Ran lifted her head to face Eri's. Eri was sporting a confident grin as she awaited what she thought to be an inevitable 'you're right 'kasan'. However with one look at her daughter's virtually lifeless eyes she knew this would not be the case

"How am I supposed to trust him now?" Eri opened her mouth to speak but her voice effectively failed her and she shut it again. Ran observed this and wiped her eyes. After a deep breath Ran lifted her head and smiled cheerfully, as if nothing had happened. Without a word Ran opened the door to the hospital room and entered, leaving Eri standing outside. As Eri thought over their conversation she still had no answer to her daughter's final question. Then, as if by means of a fist to the jaw, the answer hit her.

**~Flashback**

Ran was not pleased with being dragged away from Shinichi. The truth was, as much as she loved her mother, she did not want to be by her side at the moment

"Ran?" Ran turned to her with a tried to feign excitement

"Hai!"

"Ran" Eri restated with a knowing tone. Ran continued to smile while Eri kept staring at her. Ran quickly gave up on fooling her mother and let out a deep sigh. "You really wanted to be with him didn't you?" Ran blushed madly and shook her head violently

"It's not like that!" Eri once again gave her daughter 'all-knowing mother' look, which Ran noticed. She quickly succumbed to the scrutiny of her mother's stare and began to speak in a shy tone "I…he's just been gone a long time I…wanted to be…." Eri giggled at Ran's bashfulness as she stuttered to complete her sentence. Ran stopped speaking and scowled at her mother

"I'm sorry, you're just adorable sometimes. I wanted you to come with me because I wanted to discuss something with you" Ran's angry countenance morphed into one of curiosity

"O-Okay, what is it?" Eri grinned as she pictured her daughter's reaction to the question she was about to ask

"Do you plan on marrying Shinichi-kun?" Ran eyes instantly grew to an unnatural size as the query echoed through her mind

"Okasan! What are you saying!" Eri retained her business-like demeanor

"Ran, it is a fair question. The fact is you two know each very well and it's obvious you have feelings for him because you remained devoted to him throughout his absence" the pigment of Ran's face continued to brighten and intensify as her mother stated the truth of her feelings in broad daylight. Eri gave her daughter a moment to process the inquiry which had apparently rendered her mental processes null and void. Eri grew impatient and snapped her fingers in front of Ran's face to awaken her from the trance she was in

"Huh?" Ran asked, disoriented

"Well, what do you say? Would you marry Shinichi-kun or not?" Ran's face was still flushed but not as much as it had been previously

"Well I…Uh…it's not, I mean…." Ran moved her eyes around erratically, searching for an answer in every visible spot around her

"Ran if its not a b-"

"Yes." Ran answered definitively. Eri gaped at her daughter's sudden conviction. Eri watched Ran carefully as she proceeded to support her response "I mean he can be kind of cocky and he is a Sherlock Holmes loving, detective baka, but he's also sweet and he…cares…about me." Ran grasped her hands in one another and raised them to her chest "He can be the nicest person on some days. Even though he's been gone a long time, I still feel like he's the same person he was when he left. It feels like he never left at all. I know it sounds stupid but I really wouldn't mind if he p-prop-posed" Ran finished, now reverting back to the nervousness she displayed originally. Eri was content with her daughter's answer and felt no need to respond

**~End Flashback~**

'Ran' Eri thought to herself 'I know you two will reconcile. No matter how much it hurts or how difficult they can be' Eri opened the door and walked in, penis shooting her husband a stunning smile. Kogoro took a step toward her and pulled her toward him by the arm. She came flying at him and collided with his body, her head resting on his chest. After a brief embrace they separated and Kogoro returned the smile she had so graciously given him. He turned back toward Agasa and Heiji and began talking again 'you can never really get over your first love'.

* * *

When Okiya entered the restaurant he couldn't help but notice the eyes of almost every patron were glued to him. As a criminal by profession Okiya had been taught by experience to deter as much attention as possible. This being said, he had been quite uncomfortable with the sea of gazes that had been directed at him while he waited for his meal

'Okiya…' he thought to himself, awaiting a reply

'I know Bourbon, I know. Relax it's not like they know anything'

'I know I just don't like it…'

'Look let's just finish eating and leave'

'Right' From then on Okiya ate in mental silence. Throughout his meal most of the eyes that had been glancing intermittently at him ceased doing so, but two pairs hardly looked away. These two people did an effective job of hiding the attention they were paying Okiya and when he finally stood up and left the eatery there were four feet following closely behind him.

* * *

"So…" Heiji started presumptuously

"Be patient Hattori-kun it takes some time to pick up the signal" Agasa had taken the past five minutes to tinker and adjust the tracking receiver and was now awaiting a signal.

"He's right Hattor-kun, you really should relax" Ran chimed in

"How am I supposed to calm down? Right now Kudo could be dead somewhere!" Heiji lashed out furiously, earning awestruck expressions from the other people in the room

"Heiji!" Kazuha screamed, appalled by his notion. Heiji looked over to her and softened his gaze slightly when he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but was beaten to the punch

"Don't act…" Ran hiccupped with her eyes clenched shut "like we don't care" Heiji turned slowly in her direction and his countenance filled with anger once again

"What am I supposed to think when you're standing around here like nothing's wrong?" Ran tightened her fists and ducked her head down, still keeping her eyes shut

"Standing here being miserable won't help anything" she stated in a more hushed tone "I've done that for too long" her last comment was under her breath and hardly audible save for the person who was listening the closest: Heiji. After her point was made the room fell deathly silent and Ran took the opportunity to exit without question. A few moments after she vacated Heiji came to his sense and followed after her

"Oi 'neechan!" Heiji yelled down the hall, catching her attention. She halted her fast-paced stride and stood still, not inclined to face him or move forward. After a couple mute seconds Heiji broke their awkward stand off "I'm…I'm sorry alright? I know this has been hard for you…it's been hard for all of us"

"You don't know anything!" Ran shrieked violently, still facing away from him with her head down. Tears began to run rampant down the sides of her face. She spun around rapidly and lifted her head to face him

"'neechan I-"

"I've been waiting for him for so long! How am I supposed to worry anymore than I already have!" Her anger subsided and gave way to sorrow as her head sunk back down and planted her gaze on the ground in front of her. Heiji, despite his usual density and lack of overall insight when it comes to women and feelings managed to deduce effectively what needed to be done at that moment. In a brief instant of clarity and certainty Heiji walked hastily toward her and before she could object put a firm hand on each of her shoulders

"Don't ever think that he hasn't missed you as much as you missed him. And trust me, I know it hurts that he kept you in the dark but it really was just to protect you. I know it doesn't mean much comin' from me but-"

"No, it does. It really does. Agasa told me that you've know about his…problem for a while and that he confided in you about everything. I never gave up on him, Hattori-kun, and I still haven't. I trust him…and even now, I'm still waiting for him" she brought her eyes up to meet his and he gave her the same confident grin that had been branded into her mind by a different face many years ago.

"It's a good thing you love him or else he might get hurt when he comes back" Ran giggled at his light hearted observation

"And who says I still won't beat him up? He deserves it after all!" Ran exclaimed as she started to walk back toward the hospital room. Before she could open the door Heiji had come up behind her and spun her around to face him again. She was thoroughly shocked by the gesture but her expression immediately changed to fear at his wide, amused grin

"Ya' know, 'neechan, I just insinuated that you 'love' him and you didn't even try to deny it" Ran blushed neon red and tried uselessly to find the door handle behind her back while still being held in place by Heiji

"I-I-I-I" she stammered, hardly able to utter even a coherent syllable

"Well?" Heiji raised an eyebrow, causing Ran to squirm under his heavy stare. After hastily searching behind her back for the handle she finally found it and, in an effort to avoid any further discussion of the topic which Heiji had so slyly forced on her, pushed it down and fell backwards into the hospital room. As she tumbled into the hospital bed clumsily every eye in the room fell on her. She blushed even brighter at the attention which was only accentuated by Heiji uninhibited laughter which was echoing throughout the room and the corridor outside. After what seemed like hours of this Kogoro turned and face Heiji

"Hattori" Heiji's laugh cut off abruptly and he faced Kogoro who's expression was frank "what happened?"

**Sorry i promised multiple chapters today but that was when I assumed I wasn't going to really watch L.O.T.R. But...I did watch so I only had time for one. For the record, posted this at 12:04 so i guess that still counts**


	28. Happy to be Here

"Kudo-kun…" Haibara started softly after a lengthy duration of silence between them

"Hmm?" Shinichi answered in an upbeat tone, as if he'd been waiting for her to speak

"I…I'm sorry" Shinichi lifted his head up from the floor of the cargo container and looked at her with a puzzled expression

"Don't sound so upset Haibara, what are you talking about?" He sounded so carefree which only served to wrench her hear more

"I gave you that antidote and got your hopes up. Now we're here about to be sent to off to our deaths…" Shinichi quickly got up from where he was sitting and went over to her. Her eyes widened when she turned her head and saw the teenager standing beside her. She tilted her head up to see his face and was awestruck when she found he was displaying his unmistakable trademark grin. That confident smirk which he used to melt hearts and dismiss all doubts

"We're going to get out of here alright? Don't be so hard on yourself, I'm grateful for getting to be myself again" He shifted his gaze forward while she continued to stare at his face and admire the air of certainty in his demeanor "Now I have all the more reason to get out of this." He swiveled his head back to face Haibara and beamed genuinely "After all, I didn't spend all that time as Conan just to die as soon as I changed back. I promise, we will get out of here" Haibara felt her fear and anxiety break apart and give way to a mutual ease which she shared with the man beside her. She had always reveled in his ability to inspire great things from people and instill hope, but she had never experienced his effect to such and extent personally.

"I believe you" she stated definitively and genuinely. Shinichi noticed the sincerity in her eyes and chose not to respond. He simply smiled and turned away from her again, allowing a much more comfortable silence to reclaim their temporary prison

* * *

Okiya had been paranoid for as long as he could remember, which strangely, wasn't very far back. It was odd to him that he had no recollection of any events before his fifteenth birthday, but he always wrote these nagging questions off. Despite this lack of long term memory, the fact still stood: as far back as he could recall, he had dealt with an almost unhealthy amount of paranoia. Often times this manic fear proved to be useful in his line of work because we had always on guard. Never for a second could he allow his defenses to falter because the prospects of such a blunder, even if only momentary, were horrific to him. Such ominous thoughts had been swirling in his head since the moment he left the restaurant and felt a presence trailing him. Most people would have paid no mind to the matter and walked home peacefully, but not Okiya. Instead he had decided to walk himself into a deserted area where he could comfort his two 'guests' and dispatch of them without causing an uproar or making a scene.

'Did you see that?' Okiya asked himself internally

'Yes, Okiya. One of them strafing to our right and is currently crouched behind that large dumpster. The other one is trying to look inconspicuous by leaning against that bench and facing away from us.' Okiya smirked menacingly

'Well, what should we do Bourbon?'

'Simple, we let them catch us'

'I don't follow'

'Just wait, do you see that young woman walking in our direction?'

'Yes, but she's a witness, we can't get rid of those rats now?'

'She is no witness my friend, she is our bait' a new, wider grin played on Okiya's face

'Oh I see' With that he continued to walk forward, increasing his pace until he was just a few feet away from the young woman who chosen an unfortunate time to go for a walk. As they moved to pass one another Okiya swung his right arm around her neck, while unveiling a small firearm from behind him and holding to her head. Without having to speak the two suspected stalkers leapt out from their positions with guns drawn

"It seems I was correct"

"Put her down now!" Okiya only sneered at them and tightened his hold on her, squeezing the breath out of her. She coughed loudly at the added pressure and began to claw at his arm

"Young ma'am" he said cordially in an eerie manner "If you don't calm down I will be forced to take immediate action" he cocked the gun as pressed it firmly to the side of her head. She trembled and lowered her hands to her sides, sending a helpless glance over to the two armed individuals that were now standing next to each other and slowly approaching.

"H-Help me…" she muttered under her breath as a few steady tears streamed down her cheeks

"Damnit let her go!"

"Tell me, who sent you here to shadow me hm?" Okiya asked, still maintaining a frighteningly cool expression. The two forms that had been shrouded in darkness up to that point finally stepped forward within just five or six feet of Okiya, allowing the light of the streetlamp overhead to reveal their figures

"We are FBI agents and we've been sent here to arrest you, codename Bourbon" the female officer said authoritatively

"Really? Well that's good to hear. I suppose I should turn myself in then" Both the agents sensed his sarcasm and the bulky male officer voiced his disdain for it

"Don't mock us! We're taking you in, it's two guns on one, there's nothing you can do" Okiya laughed monstrously at the bold statement

"You two seem so confident, but who ever said two guns were better than one?" 'And whoever said I needed a gun?'

* * *

"Kudo-kun there's…something you need to know" Shinichi turned to face Haibara who seemed deeply perturbed by whatever it was she had on her mind

"Why do you always sound like that?" he asked with a slight chuckle

"This is serious Kudo-kun, when they took me I was holding onto something…something they stole from me…" Shinichi's eyes gazed on the little girl beside him more intently, finally comprehending the seriousness of the topic

"Okay Haibara calm down, what was it?"

"Hakase he…he invented something new, a weapon" Shinichi was visibly shocked to hear this

"A weapon? Since when does he design weapons?"

"It wasn't for the government, he was going to patent it and sell it to a manufacturer."

"What was it exactly?" Haibara darted her eyes toward the ground in front of her while her face became stricken with fear and shame

"It was…a bomb. A miniature bomb that used sound waves" Shinichi seemed to only vaguely comprehend what she was saying

"What do you mean 'sound waves'?" Haibara shook her head, wishing her words were untrue

"The device converted sound waves into physically present force. The force is enough to send a full grown male flying. Its only the size of a soccer ball but Kudo-kun" she shifted her entire body to face him "if _they_ get a hold of that kind of technology it would be disastrous. Just imagine, with a large enough bomb they could topple entire plaza's, towns, cities even." Shinichi stepped away from her in absolute horror

"But you're not…I mean you don't know for sure if they took it right?" Haibara clenched her fists but still managed to contain the emotion that was obviously building

"There's no way they didn't notice. They know I'm a scientist, and a good one. They most likely assumed it was an invention of mine." Shinichi winced as the mental images of the scenarios Haibara illustrated came to resonate in the forefront of his mind. The flashes of death and carnage quickly angered him and he couldn't help but lash out

"What the hell are we going to do Haibara! We can't let them have something like that! We need to something" Haibara nodded in agreement

"You're right, but there's nothing we can do from here. We have to be patient and wait for Hakase and the others to come" Shinichi consented to the point by slamming his back against the wall of the carrier crate and sliding down it, coming to rest in a sitting position with his head leaned up against the cold metal

"I know…."

* * *

"I've got it!" Agasa yelled excitedly, gaining the full attention of everyone in the room

"You've got the signal!" Heiji solicited in disbelief

"Hai. They're about twenty miles away, at the docks. You should be able to get there in no more than ten minutes if you hurry" Heiji nodded and turned to leave the room. As he strode toward the door he felt a firm grip on his bicep and spun around to find the hand belonged to the person he most expected

"Heiji don't even think about leaving without me" Kazuha stated almost coldly, staring him down in an effort to destroy any hint of argument from his eyes. He opened his mouth to argue but shut it abruptly and softened his gaze

"You're really annoying" he commented with a genuine smile, which she emulated as she slapped his arm playfully

"Aho" she muttered delicately

"You continue to forget, I'm the one with the car" Eri chimed in

"And you two are just kids in case you forgot. Eri and I will go with you, Ran you stay here with Agasa" he commanded

"Why can't I go! You know you'll want me there to protect you" Kogoro's face became dark as he placed a heavy hand on each of her shoulders

"Ran, this is no place for someone as young as you. They are only going because I know they would go whether we let them or not. You are my daughter and I can control what happens to you. I don't want you to get hurt." Ran began to tear up. She had never felt so worthless

"How can you make me sit here while you go and save Shinichi! I'm the one that's supposed to be there for him"

"Ran you are staying here!" Kogoro roared, shocking everyone in the room to silence, including his wife, who, despite their years together had never seen him so furious. Ran whimpered in fear but did not object. She fell into the chair behind her dejectedly and hung her head downward. Kogoro, still fuming from the ordeal huffed out the door, followed by Kazuha and Heiji and lastly Eri who lingered for a moment to observe her daughter before exiting. Ran felt her heart sink all the deeper when she heard the sound of the door close behind them. They were gone, and she was left to wait. It seemed like that was ll she was good for; waiting

"Ran-kun" Agasa started, trying desperately to conjure up any sort of encouragement for the young woman before him "do you want to…do a quiz game? It always helps those kids pass the time and the one I'm thinking of is my most difficult yet!" Ran couldn't help but chuckle at the Professor's effort to amuse her and, reminiscing in old memories lifted her head and turned toward him

"I'd like that Hakase"

* * *

"Last call for boarding to Roxas!" a terminal attendant bellowed out to the virtually empty area. One man stood at the call and approached the desk "Your ticket sir"

"Of course" he responded cordially, handing over his ticket. The man behind the desk examined the ticket for a moment before putting it through the scanner.

"Everything's in order, have a pleasant flight Mr. Kudo" he smiled back at the young man politely

"Arigato" the Japanese thanks didn't surprise the worker who could obviously tell that Yuusaku was oriental. As Yuusaku walked through the tunnel toward the plane he couldn't help but replay his intentions over in his head to justify his actions 'Going there to catch them off guard. If I arrive early I can scope out the area and make an effective strategy. I'll be outnumbered so planning and surprise will be vital' he smiled at the flight as she pointed him the direction of his seat. He arrived at his seat and reveled in its mediocrity 'I can't remember the last time I rode couch, especially this far toward the back. But its for the sake of stealth. The last thing I need is another-'

"Kudo-san! Can I have your autograph! You're my hero!" A middle aged blonde woman stood before him, embodying everything he hadn't wanted to encounter

"Oh uh….sure" he agreed half-heartedly, reaching for the fountain pen in his front shirt pocket. The woman giggled merrily and revealed a pristine copy of one of his older 'Night Baron' novels. He etched his signature onto the cover, which sent the woman into a frenzy

"Thank you so much Kudo-san! I can't believe I'm on the same plane as you!" she continued to beam madly as she turned and headed back to her seat. Yuusaku stared at her as she sat down, suddenly overcome by suspicion which he couldn't explain. When the woman began speaking to the husky man beside her the air of innocence and joy died and was replaced by one of fierce determination and undeniable intent 'Who are you?' Yuusaku thought to himself

"That's definitely him." The woman said to the man beside her as the plane began to move forward

"You were right, the resemblance is striking" the man returned after stealing a glance at the person in question

"It really is. Let's hope he's as sharp as his son is" the man nodded and reclined his head back into the cushioning of his seat. The woman grinned and followed suit 'As incredible as that guy is, I can't imagine what his father can do' she thought as she shut her eyes to rest

**This entry is really late I know but i really had to think this one out. Nevertheless, look forward to CH. 29. it'll answer all of the cliffhangers, don't worry. Thanks for reading, review if you have something to say, whether kind or otherwise. I always welcome criticism and compliment**


	29. Fortunately I'm not by Myself

"I don't know what you're talking about but you need to let that girl go and surrender" the male agent said authoritatively

"Then let me explain"

"No, Bourbon, no more games. Let the girl go and surrender quietly" the female officer interjected without raising her voice above a neutral volume. Okiya stared at the officers intently, analyzing their movements, mannerisms, expressions, anything he could use to deduce what they were really feeling. He gazed relentlessly into the female officer's eyes, causing her to sweat and look away for a moment

"Do you fear me, miss?" he solicited with a kind smile, trying to appear as friendly as possible

"I uh well I-I no! No of course not, you're a criminal and I'm an agent of the FBI why would I be scared of you!" the woman was trying her absolute hardest to convince herself of the words she had just uttered

"Your eyes say otherwise. What about you?" he looked down at the girl he was holding and pressed the barrel of his gun gently to her head "Are scared of me?" the teenager could only sob further and shiver under the intensity of his stare which seemed to be burning holes on the top of her head. The male officer watched as the young girl shutter in terror and finally snapped

"Alright that's it!" he roared angrily, cocking his gun and taking a few steps toward Okiya "Put her down now!" he demanded, raising his firearm up to point directly at Okiya's forehead

"Don't be so hasty officer; we will resolve our little conflict in good time. Until then please take a few steps back or I will be forced end the life of this innocent young girl." The agent, despite the fire in his heart that screamed for him to shoot Okiya square in the face, his logic and training took over and he drew back to his original spot

"P-P-Ple-eas-se l-let me g-go" the teenager was still in tears which only seemed to delight Okiya all the more

"Ma'am I'm going to ask you a question. If you answer it honestly, I'll let you go. If you don't, I will end your life where you stand. Are you ready?" the ultimatum was terrifying but the brave young woman managed to calm herself down and speak coherently

"Yes." Okiya grinned widely

"Wonderful, here it is. Do you think I could kill both of those officers over there before one of them hit me with a single bullet?"

"What kind of b-"

"Sir, this question is for her." Okiya stated plainly, effectively cutting off the fuming male agent. "Well, what's your answer?" the girl looked at various spots on the ground beneath her, as if she was going to find the perfect answer etched onto the concrete

"Uh well I mean they do have two guns and uh…you only have one…." Okiya pressed the barrel of the gun more firmly to her temple

"So what is your answer?" the girl swallowed hard and clasped her eyes shut

"No." Okiya relieved some of the pressure on the side of her head and let a subtle smile play on his face

"You're right, if it were just me against those two I would most certainly lose" the girl heaved a sigh of relief as she imagined the prospect of being released from her captor's clutches. This joy was short-lived however as she noticed a metal ball roll between the two FBI agents

"What is that thing?" the female officer asked her partner in a hushed tone as she bent down to analyze it. The male officer continued to monitor Okiya, although he couldn't help but glance a few times at the object. Meanwhile Okiya fastened his grip on the girl, cutting off her air supply completely

"However" he whispered grimly "I never said I was alone" as the words came out of his mouth the ball seemed to change shape. The metal exterior opened up, revealing a circular woofer on each side of the ball. Both speakers were lined with a thin, blue neon light which glowed brightly in the dark side street

"What th-" Before the male officer could finish his statement he was impacted by an invisible force which sent him flying in the opposite direction of his partner. The female officer, who was crouched next to the auspicious ball, was sent careening along the sidewalk into a trash can. Okiya's female hostage watched in horror and confusion as the area fell silent. Before she could open her mouth to speak Okiya fired a single bullet into the side of her head. He held her up for a moment afterward as the now lifeless body fidgeted in his arm. He then dropped the body and grinned maniacally

"Come out" he beckoned coldly. Upon his command two of the faceless grunts from his hideout exposed themselves in the lamp light. "I thought I told you to stay with the cargo" the lackeys quaked nervously as Okiya drew closer to them

"I-I know but its been almost forty five minutes since you left we were getting worried that something happened." Okiya turned away from him without a response and walked toward the unconscious male agent. He knelt beside him and pulled a wallet out from his back pant's pocket

"They were FBI, as they said" he stated plainly

"You two, finish these spies off. I'm going on ahead to check on our guests." He began to walk away then stopped in his tracks and coughed loudly to gain the attention of the two criminals "and gentleman" he started, pointed a finger at the spherical device beside him "don't forget that". The two underlings nodded compliantly and Okiya disappeared into the darkness of the night

* * *

"Haibara listen" Shinichi raised an open hand to her, gesturing for her to be silent. She obeyed his request and listened intently, trying to observe anything suspicious. She failed to notice anything out of the ordinary and gave Shinichi a puzzled look

"I don't hear anything"

"Exactly. Before it sounded like there was group of adult men talking amongst themselves. Now I can't hear anyone" Haibara's attention was peaked as she raised her head off of the wall of the container

"Do you think they left us?" Shinichi shook his head

"I doubt that, they wouldn't just leave two hostages to themselves. However I do think they've at least split. At the very least I'm sure their numbers have decreased." As Haibara took to listening closely again a loud creaking suddenly broke the night's serenity

"What was that?" Haibara aksed frantically, now on her feet and looking from side to side

"I don't know for sure, but judging by the type of container we're in and the temperature I 'm guessing we're at the docks. If I'm right, then what we just heard may have been a magnetic container lift." Haibara eyes widened as Shinichi grasped his chin contemplatively

"Wait, that would mean-"

"Yes, it would mean that they are going to load into a cargo ship" Haibara's gaze fell to the floor as the prospects of what could lie ahead for the two of them came into perspective. "Oi Haibara" his curt means of gaining her attention caused her snap out of her pessimistic thoughts

"What do you know about a base in Panay?" her countenance immediately darkened at the sound of the dreaded city

"Why! What do you know!" she solicited violently, obviously unnerved by the mention of the place

"When Okiya took me hostage he told me he had to deliver me to his superior in Panay. Haibara what's going on, where are they taking us?" Shinichi was growing uneasy as Haibara continued to stare into his eyes ominously

"As you know already the Organization doesn't have just one base, they have many that are spread out across the globe. However, there is one place they truly consider to be their 'main base'. That place, is the island of Panay" Shinichi turned away from her and let the new information sink in

"I need to know everything Haibara, anything you can tell me about it. What it looks like, the population, the actual size of island" Haibara wasted no time in getting to her explanation

"The island is privately owned by various higher ups in Organization. They used aliases to purchase the property by killing various civilians and taking up their identities. Once they owned the property they evicted everyone civilian from it, leaving them to do as they please. The government in the Philippines is corrupted so they turn a blind eye to everything that goes on." Shinichi swung around to face her

"What else? What is the surface area of the island?"

"If I remember correctly it's around 7400 miles"

"And what about the location of the base on the island"

"The island is the base, many of the Organization members live on that island. There is a main building which serves as somewhat of an office and its right at the southern shore"

"So then they plan on loading us straight into that place, not giving us any chance to escape into the island population" Shinichi fell quiet as he mulled over all of the details of their predicament while Haibara caught her breath and calmed down a little

"Kudo-kun, do you have a plan?" Shinichi grinned smugly at her

"Of course. For now the plan is to wait. I still have my shoes and my belt so at the very least I should be able to fight a few of them off. If at least one of us can get away-"

"There's no way you're going to use yourself as a decoy so I can escape" Haibara interjected with a shockingly even tone. Shinichi was confused by the heartfelt words clashing with the apathetic delivery

"I will try my best to escape as well but if I can't I want you to go. One of us has to get away so they can get help" Haibara begrudgingly agreed

"Besides, it's just like I said, I have a very good reason to get out of this." Shinichi muttered softly with a tinge of pink on his cheeks. Haibara wasn't able to hear his words but noticed the faint blush draped across his face and smiled to herself knowingly

* * *

"There it is, Obasan pull over here!" Heiji yelled from the backseat, pointing to the backside of a dockhouse which was covered in darkness. Eri pulled up beside the house and turned off the car.

"What do we do now Heiji?" Kazuha asked nervously

"Oh yes 'Great Detective' tell us, what do we do?" Kogoro asked sarcastically, earning an open hand to the back of his head

"Oi woman!" he roared in response

"Would you be quiet!" Eri remarked angrily, thoroughly silencing her husband. Once she was sure Kogoro would behave she turned toward Heiji "So, what's our plan?"

"Well I think our best bet is to have the old man and I walk out first and check for thugs or whoever else might be out there. If the coast is clear then you two follow us and we'll work out way down the dock in that fashion" all the people present in the vehicle seemed to consent to his plan

"But Heiji, who's going to take the tracker?" Heiji scratched his head for a moment before stretching his index finger out and placing the tip of it squarely on Kazuha's forehead

"You, Aho" he said with a huge grin of amusement as Kazuha continued to stare cross eyed at the place where Heiji's finger was still resting on her brow

"Uh m-me?" she looked for confirmation which she received through his unwavering expression of confidence

"Why wouldn't it be you? I trust you not to lose it" he noticed her blush ever so slightly at his statement and took the opportunity to exit the car. Kogoro followed suit next and soon all four of them were out of the car. They walked toward the docks and stopped at the end of the shack where their shadowy veil ended and light flooded the ground

"Let's go punk" Kogoro ordered with a snort. Heiji rolled his eyes but followed his lead and stepped out into the open, illuminated area of the dock. They took a moment to familiarize themselves with their surroundings, committing to memory all of the possible escape routes as well any places to hide

"It's clear, come on" Heiji whispered, waving a hand to beckon the two women over. Eri and Kazuha slipped out from behind the small structure and tiptoed out to where Kogoro and Heiji were standing.

"We'll walk up to there" Heiji pointed to a control box about eighty feet away "When we get there you two hide behind that truck" Eri and Kazuha consented to the decision with a nod and the group proceeded forward. As they moved along they failed to notice a presence lurking behind them

* * *

"Maybe I should have killed those two after all" Okiya muttered to himself as he watched Heiji, Kazuha, Eri and Kogoro march forward, growing closer to his captives

"What did I tell you Okiya? I told you that you need to stop letting people go. It makes our lives so much simpler if you kill them"

"I know Bourbon, I know. It's just…"

"Don't bother Okiya you've told me this a dozen times. 'They weren't actually the target, they shouldn't die just for being unlucky'. The truth is, if they were unlucky enough to cross us, they should be unlucky enough to die for it" Okiya ran his fingers under the lenses of his glasses and rubbed his eyes

"It doesn't matter now, what matters is that we have to make sure they don't find our actual targets" Okiya stood up from the forklift he was hiding behind and snaked his way up to a stack of wooden crates which he took cover behind. The group was only ten feet on front of him now. He couldn't hear any conversation between them so he assumed they were wrought with anxiety.

"Come on, let's get all four of them from behind. They won't even know what hit them"

"Don't be stupid Bourbon we don't if they're armed. Plus, there's no sense in getting out hands dirty if we don't need to. We have guards stationed right at the container. I'll be surprised if two teenagers, a lawyer and an over the hill detective can get through four armed men"

"I suppose you're right"

* * *

"Huh?" Takagi nearly fell off of the couch at her words

"Look we're engaged now, so there's no reason for us to live separately anymore. I mean..." she looked up him with her best set of puppy dig eyes "unless you don't want to sleep in the same bed as me" Takagi's face morphed into what some passerby might have mistaken to be the largest tomato they had ever seen. A healthy stream of blood came running out of his nose as the mental images of Sato scantily clad consumed his mind

"I-I-I well it's just uh...I mean it's..." Sato chuckled at his apparent uneasiness and placed a platonic hand on his shoulder

"Relax Takagi-kun you don't have to stay here if you don't want to, I just didn't think you'd want to go home at this hour. It is almost 1 in the morning" she moved to rise from the couch they were sitting on when a strong hand found it's way to her wrist and squeezed tightly

"I would be honored to stay with you tonight and...every night from now on" Sato's face took on a hue to match her fiancée's. She hesitated for a moment, which made Takagi sweat. After clearing her thoughts she leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips. Takagi gladly accepted her wordless statement and after a few seconds they parted and she drew away from him, much to his dismay

"You don't have any clothes here do you?" he wiped his forehead and brought his logical mind back into action

"Uh no, but it's alright I can just wear this tomorrow" Sato departed from his presence for a moment and entered her bedroom. When she returned she was holding an old tan suit with a white undershirt and black slacks. She brought them over and handed them to him

"Here, you can wear this" she smiled genuinely at him as a small tear crept into the crevice of her right eye

"Miwako..." Takagi trailed off. Instead of asking her why she was crying he simply reached a hand up and placed it delicately on her cheek, using his middle finger to wipe away the lone tear

"That was my" she choked as she struggled to get the words out "f-father's suit. I kept it as a memento, you know? But he would have wanted you to have it." Takagi could see there were more tears on the way and he quickly placed the outfit in his arm on the couch and pulled her into an embrace. She let her head sink into his shoulder and began to cry softly. The noise was muffled by his shoulder but he could still hear her clearly and he could feel the tears soak his shirt. After less than a minute of this she pushed herself off of him just enough to establish eye contact with him

"Are you alright?" Takagi asked with warm concern

"Hai. Can we...go to bed now?" she seemed nervous about the topic which amused Takagi considering he was always the nervous one. He gave her a nod and took her by the hand. Together they walked into her bedroom and shut off the lights. They were both exhausted and excited to go to sleep, for more reasons than simply fatigue.

* * *

Vermouth grumbled as she heard the ear piercing ring of her phone that was lying on the night stand beside her. She swung her arm at the epicenter of the annoying racket and somehow managed to catch a hold of it. She pulled the phone up to her ear and flipped it open

"What"

"Vermouth what the hell are you doing?" Gin asked, seemingly disgruntled

"Huh?"

"Get to the helipad, our escort will be arriving in twenty minutes" Vermouth ran her hands down her face and glanced over at the digital clock that rested near where her phone was only moments before

"What are you talking about we don't have to be at the airport until 7"

"Change of plans, _he_ wants us there as soon as possible so the helicopter is going to take us to a private plane which will fly us directly to Panay Island"

"Why the sudden change?" she asked drowsily

"_He _didn't explain and it doesn't matter. Just be at the helipad on the roof in twenty minutes"

"Right, goodbye" she said as she hung up the phone. She threw the mobile device down on the bed and groaned loudly into the empty space above her head. Once she had relieved her pent up tension she rose from the bed and stretched her body out thoroughly. She walked over to the curtains and threw them open, allowing the rays from the setting sun to soak her body. She had slept naked the previous night, seeing no reason to clad herself in anything. She ran her fingers through her hair and walked back toward the suitcase she had opened up on the floor the night before. She rummaged through it and removed some panties, a blue lace bra and a black blouse. Once she had these on she pulled out a raven black jumpsuit and put her feet into the bottom of it. She then pulled the garment up to her shoulders, putting her arms through it in the process. She zipped it up in the front and reached for her phone. She sifted through the list of numbers in her contacts until her eyes feel on one that she had never actually called. She pressed the call key and held the phone to her ear, awaiting an answer. After two rings the other line picked up, much to her delight

"Hello, angel"


	30. Uncertain or Undeterred

"Do you think those guys will be alright?" one of the grunts ask the other as he lifted the body of the now deceased female FBI agents into a dumpster

"Why wouldn't they be? There are three of them and they all have guns. Besides all they're doing is guarding a box, as long as they're not stupid enough to open it they'll be fine" the first Black Organization lackey took solace in his cohort's words and helped him lift the body of the larger male FBI agent in the dumpster on top of the female agent's body.

"You got the gasoline?" the first criminal asked, pulling a packet of matches out of his front pocket

"Of course I do" he stated, almost offended by the query. He pulled a gallon of gasoline out from beside the dumpster and began to pour the catalyst on and around the two bodies. After he'd completed his task he tossed the empty carrier into the dumpster took a few steps back. The man holding the matches took this as a nonverbal invitation to proceed and sparked the match with the packet. He then through the match into the dumpster and took a few hurried steps back, ending up next to his partner

"There it goes!" the grunt said excitedly as he admired the expanding ember he had created

"Well, as fun as it would be, we don't have time to sit and watch these bodies burn so grab that thing and let's go" the second thug commanded, pointing at the metal sphere lying on the ground a short distance away from them. The other man obliged him and retrieved the object and with that the two underlings walked off on the same direction their superior had just fifteen minutes earlier

* * *

"Okay we're clear" Heiji announced, earning a nod from Kogoro. Eri and Kazuha once again stepped out from behind the shack they had used for cover. As the group proceeded forward Heiji was suddenly shocked to stillness. Kazuha, who had been walking behind him and carrying on quietly with Eri ran the side of her head right into Heiji's back

"Aho what are you doing?" Kazuha screamed angrily

"Shut up Aho! Do you want us to get caught!" Heiji roared back furiously. Kazuha realized the error in her volume and ducked her head shamefully. Kogoro, who was a few steps ahead of Heiji by now finally realized he had stopped walking and turned around to face him

"Oi what are you doing?"

"Ojisan look" he said curtly, walking up beside Kogoro and pointing a purposeful index finger at a hardly visible extremity on the ground protruding from behind a cargo container

"Is that-"

"It's an arm. That guy must be knocked out" Heiji declared. The two woman each involuntarily hid behind their respective men

"Yes, but who's?" Kogoro input curiously

"I don't know, but we need to find out" with that statement Heiji took off on a full sprint toward the lifeless appendage

"Damn that brat!" Kogoro grumbled in annoyance as he sped off to catch up with Heiji. The two women hesitated at first but decided it was safest to be with the other two and began to jog over as well.

"What the…hell…happened?" Heiji asked himself while struggling to catch his breath

"Damnit you idiot what were thinking running out like that!" Kogoro solicited with rage apparent on his face

"Look" Heiji commanded in an attempt to silence Kogoro's questions without an explanation. As Kogoro analyzed the scene, which due to his fury, he had ignored initially he was stunned to momentary silence. A few seconds later Kazuha and Eri came up behind them panting

"Honey what's going on?' Eri asked as she wiped a small trace of sweat from her brow

"I-I don't know" what he was seeing was an open container and three thoroughly incapacitated men lying sprawled out in various spots around the opening.

"Kazuha!" Heiji barked authoritatively

"Hai"

"Where does that tracker say Kudo and that little girl are?" Kazuha looked down at the device which she had been holding tightly throughout their miniature invasion

"Uh…they should be going this way" she pointed backward in the direction they had just come from "but they are still moving"

"Are you kidding me? Why didn't you tell us they were moving before now?" Kazuha hung her head shamefully and muttered

"I…it's just I was kind of scared and we were moving a lot and I got distracted" Heiji got up from the kneeling position he had been in and walked past the other three briskly

"Come on, we need to catch up with them. They have no way of getting back to the agency" they all agreed and picked up their pace while Heiji broke into another full sprint. Kazuha moved to follow suit but Kogoro put a firm hand on her shoulder

"Don't bother with him. He's not thinking and he's going to get himself hurt" Kazuha looked up at Kogoro and then back in the direction Heiji had run off in 'Don't you dare get hurt…Aho'

* * *

As Shinichi and Haibara rounded a corner which was almost completely consumed by shadows they were met by an unfortunate obstacle

"No…" Shinichi trailed off in disbelief. Haibara walked up beside him with her hands clasped behind her back and an almost arrogant smile on her face

"Well Kudo-kun it seems you've led us to a dead end"

"Why would anyone build a ten foot tall concrete wall on a dock! It doesn't make sense!" Haibara shook her head warily

"It doesn't matter at this point, the shots to the head you gave those men aren't going to keep them unconscious forever. We need to get off of this dock as fast as possible" Shinichi nodded in agreement and turned around in the direction they had just come from. His eyes widened immeasurably however as they fell on the man they had wanted to see least in the world at that point

"Well, it seems you two were too much for my henchmen hmm? No matter" he pulled his firearm out of his jacket pocket and pointed it at them

"How did you find us?" Haibara inquired frantically

"I never left you. You see I was originally following those meddlesome friends of yours around. However as we moved along something much more intriguing caught my eye. I saw a small movement from behind a trailer. I decided to postpone my pursuit of those other trespassers in favor of investigating what I had seen. As it turned out, it was you two I had seen and I decided it was my best interest to shadow you until you made a mistake" Shinichi growled angrily to himself 'I can't believe I missed him. And how did I not notice Hattori and the others?' he was understandably frustrated with himself, however his self-critical thoughts were broken up by Haibara's fearful hand tightly squeezing his pant leg

"Relax Haibara, he won't hurt us, his boss wants us alive" Okiya laughed openly at them, which perturbed Shinichi greatly. Okiya then shot Shinichi and evil smirk and fired a bullet into Haibara's shoulder. Shinichi instantly reached down to help but was stopped in his tracks by Okiya's bone-chillingly apathetic voice

"Stay where you are tantei-san unless you want her other arm to match" Shinichi begrudgingly lifted himself off of the ground and faced forward

"If you don't wrap that she'll bleed out" Okiya scoffed at him and turned back toward the young biochemist

"I am well-trained in I.R medicine, I will make sure she survives. However a little blood loss never hurt anyone"

"You bastard" Shinichi stated clearly in a subdued tone, earning a glance from Okiya

"I knew I should have confiscated those shoes from you while I had the chance" Okiya mumbled introspectively

* * *

"Mouri-san" Kazuha started. Kogoro looked down at her to confirm she had his attention "look, they've stopped moving" Kogoro squinted at the fluorescent screen

"You're right; we need to get to them now before they start moving again" the two ladies agreed and they proceeded to run toward the spot where the tracker claimed Shinichi and Haibara were. After a few steps they heard a gunshot and stopped in shock

"Do you think…" Eri trailed off fearfully

"We don't have time to think about it, we need to go" Kogoro commanded authoritatively, taking off again without looking at either of the women for verification. Eri and Kazuha glanced at one another and decided nonverbally to follow his lead

* * *

"What the-" Heiji was stopped dead in his tracks by the sound of a gunshot echoing through the surrounding area around him. He darted his eyes in the direction of the gunshot and without hesitation ran full bore toward it

* * *

"You know it's only a matter of time before they follow the sound of that gunshot and track you down" Shinichi stated confidently, giving Okiya a searing stare

"That may be true, but who ever said I didn't want them to find us?" Shinichi's sureness wavered and his unrelenting gaze faltered

"You're bluffing" Shinichi responded, obviously unconfident in his claim

"Are you sure about that?" he asked with a twisted grin that made Shinichi's gut wrench. They entered into tense silence after that which was ended by the sound of footsteps in the distance which they both noticed instantly "Oh speak of the devil" Okiya hummed lightly. Shinichi's face contorted in disgust as he watched Okiya eagerly await the arrival of his friends

"You bastard what do you want with them! You already have us!" Okiya turned to him, actually taking on a serious countenance

"Don't be naïve. You know as long as they're alive they'll keep searching for you. I have to end this futile manhunt now" he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince Shinichi. In his head, despite the confidence he exuded there was a war going on 'I don't know, I don't know. I mean maybe he is right, we already have them, why kill the others?'

'Okiya don't be a fool. You let them live once and they came back. Now you have to do what it is you should have done the first time'

'I mean it might spark questions. I mean these aren't nobodies: Mouri Kogoro and Hattori Heiji are both famous detectives not to mention Hattori Heizo is that brat's father. Toyama Kazuha's father is a higher up in the police force in Osaka as well and Kisaki Eri is an affluent lawyer. You don't think they'll ask questions if they all just turn up dead?'

'Okiya, we've assassinated presidents, emissaries, ambassadors and every other type of government official worth mentioning. They always ask questions, but they're never answered'

'I guess you have a point'

'So when they come around that corner, what are you going to do?' Okiya didn't answer answer the question internally or otherwise

* * *

The helicopter ride had been tense. Gin and Vodka had chatted with one another while Korn remained silent and occasionally glanced at Vermouth. She could sense his disdain for her and it put her on edge. Normally she wouldn't have cared what another member thought about her but Korn had been known for being incredibly vengeful. When their aircraft finally reached it's destination they all exited and were met by a black SUV. As they entered Gin shot her a dirty which she responded to with her usually smug, seductive smile. As the vehicle drove on, Gin, who was in the front seat began to speak without turning toward the others in the back

"Were you aware there's a rat in our ranks again?" he asked coldly. Korn and Vermouth looked at him quizzically while Vodka made no movement to express any interest in the topic. Obviously being Gin's partner he had heard all the details on the alleged 'rat' already

"Do you have any idea who it is?" Korn asked with his arms folded in front of his chest, feigning apathy

"_That person_is fairly of the identity of our traitor" Vermouth started to glisten slightly 'I thought I removed all the bugs from my phone, how did they track the call I made?' a sinister grin swept over Gin's face as he turned his head so he could see the backseat. She could sense his glare on her and swung her head to the left to face her window. His gaze lingered on her for a few moments then he moved to face forward again

"Whoever this bastard is I can't wait to see what _that person_ does to em' once they're found" Korn added lightly, seemingly amused by the thought. Vermouth manufactured a chuckled then returned to her window. She knew her unusually quiet demeanor was a dead give away that she was nervous but at that moment she could think of nothing to say. Ever since she had fired that single bullet, her mind and body hadn't been feeling right. She hadn't been able to think clearly and her muscles had been aching. She felt as if her whole being was in revolt and she had no idea how to fix it. 'The best I can do for now is hold it together and hope I can get away from these guys before we get to _him_'

* * *

"Where are they?" Kogoro asked, looking over at Kazuha who's eyes were glued to the device in her hands

"They should be around this corner" they all took a moment to compose themselves before stepping around the corner. She hadn't known it but apparently she had been holding her breath because the second she made eye contact with Okiya the air in her lungs burst out in almost a cough

"We meet again, sweetness" Kazuha gaped at the way he identified her

"S-So that was you…in the room back then?" Okiay laughed heartily to himself

"No I'm afraid not, but one of my men informed me that your lover didn't appreciate the name too much. Where is he by the way?" Kazuha's face was neon red as her brain chose only to acknowledge one word he had said

"L-Lovers? What are you talking about Heiji and I are n-"

"Your relationship with him is quite beside the point. Where is he?" he repeated, this time more crossly

"I don't know" she responded curtly

"Really?" he inquired maniacally as he adjusted his wrist to point the gun in his hand at her. Kazuha's eyes became watery as the fear of death enveloped her thoughts

"Don't point that damn gun at her!" a masculine voice roared from the darkness

"Well that answers my question" Okiya smirked knowingly as Heiji walked out from the shadows with sweat streaming down his face

"H-Heiji!" Kazuha squealed in both shock and joy. Despite the situation most of the terror Kazuha had been feeling dissolved with his presence.

"Why'd you run off like that?" Kogoro solicited under his breath, trying not to draw any attention from Okiya, whose gun was still aimed at Kazuha. Heiji ignored Kogoro's question, seeing it as irrelevant given the present situation. He slowly crept closer to Kazuha until they were side by side. She reached for his arm and took a firm hold of it which didn't surprise Heiji. After a second or two he brushed her off of his arm and moved his body in front of her. She took a hold of his shirt from behind him and pressed her head to his back

"I see" Okiya said as he cocked his weapon "you want to be brave and save your love. Well I'll be happy to acquiesce to your desire" he held the gun out with a straightened arm

"Wait" Shinichi chimed in from Okiya's right side. Okiya swiveled his head toward the voice while continuing to point the gun at Heiji

"Something to add before your friend here passes on?" Shinichi sent Okiya a grave glance and looked down at Haibara

"She is going to die soon if we don't get her to a hospital; she's already lost a significant amount of blood" Okiya fixed his eyes on the pale young girl then looked back at Shinichi.

"Take your shirt and wrap her wound." Shinichi opened his mouth to speak but decided against arguing and knelt down beside Haibara. He pulled his shirt up over his head and held it in his hands for a moment while he looked at Haibara. Without needing to be asked she gritted her teeth and lifted her right arm up so Shinichi could wrap his shirt in her armpit and around her wound. He tied the garment securely, causing Haibara to let out a painful groan. He focused on her face after he had finished and she smiled faintly. He moved to get up but stopped when he felt Haibara's hand delicately grip his bare arm.

"Kudo-kun…" she began, whispering weakly "is that…your watch that Hakase made" Shinichi looked at his wrist and noticed the watch. He gazed at it in disbelief and then her point clicked in his mind. He gave her a grin and rose up to his feet, essentially answering her question

"Oh good, you're finished. Now we can proceed." Okiya turned his attention back to Heiji who had been looking at Shinichi. Even though Okiya had turned to face him, Heiji was still focused on Shinichi. Nonchalantly Shinichi reached his hand down and tapped his index finger on his watch. Heiji understood his message and turned back to Okiya with a determined expression. 'Kudo, you better know what you're doin' he thought as he lunged forward with a thunderous army cry that nearly jarred Okiya right off of his feet. Kazuha's eyes grew in size substantially as the man she had been holding onto firmly slipped from her grasp and drew further away from her.

"Heiji!"

*BANG*

Okiya's face was racked with shock and amazement as the bullet whizzed by Heiji's right ear. A small spurt of blood shot out from the apparent cut the bullet made as it grazed him. Heiji had stuttered a step as the bullet went by but was now on the move again. Okiya hesitated as Heiji came within a few feet of him. Just two more strides and Heiji would be face to face with him. In hindsight he probably could have got another shot off but his mind was not functioning at full capacity that particular instant and so he found himself backpedaling. Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what they had hoped he would do. While Okiya was distracted by Heiji's seemingly mindless rush Shinichi had slipped behind him. As Okiya backtracked hurriedly he was abruptly stopped by the twinge of what felt like a needle tip in his neck. He wobbled for a few moments before his surroundings went black and he collapsed

"Ok…Kudo…now what?" Heiji asked his friend while panting for air with a relieved smile

**Thirty Chapters in the books YAY! I didn't think this story would get so long but I guess it takes some length to write a wholesome end to a 762+ chapter manga **

**For those of you who noticed, don't worry, next chapter we'll hear from Ran;s perspective. In addition there'll be some post-knockout Okiya as well as more Vermouth and those two henchmen who decided to show up right after all the action**

**If you're getting antsy about the plot don't worry this arc does serve a purpose in the grand scheme. And remember, the showdown at Panay Island is coming**


	31. Questions that Need Answering

"Come on, hurry up" a Black Organization thug barked back at his companion, receiving a glare in response

"Don't patronize me. Besides we're almost there" he stated, pointing up ahead at the container where they had been on patrol before they left to check on their superior

"Ugh…" the first henchman sighed, giving in to the truth in his observation. The second lackey jogged forward a bit to catch up so the two were now walking side by side. As they came closer to the container they noticed the door to the storage unit was open. Questioning the reason for this they ran toward the opened container. When they reached the door they were shocked to find the three remaining guards sitting on the ground rubbing their heads with pained expressions

"What the hell happened to you!" While the second grunt inquired about the situation the first took a moment to peer into the former holding cell for their captives

"I see the hostages are gone" the three looked at one another confusedly, finding it difficult to conjure up an explanation

"Well go on, tell us what happened"

**~Flashback~**

"What do you think _that person_ wants with a little girl and some teenager?" one grunt asked the other two

"Don't know. I heard a rumor that the little girl is actually a scientist that used to work for the syndicate. She was a genius so she invented a drug to shrink herself so she could escape her employment" the two listening to this chuckled lightly to themselves

"No way, how would that even be possible?" the henchmen that had shared the rumor simply shook his head and smiled

"I don't know, I'm only telling you what I heard" the lackey that had originally asked the question raised a hand to silence the other two

"What about the other one, what his name?"

"Kudo Shinichi, he's some sort of prodigy. They say he's a great detective and he's been solving murder cases for the police since he was thirteen" this faceless operative had made friends with some of the more highly ranked members of their Organization so he was familiar with various details about their missions

"I see, that still doesn't explain why we have him"

"That I'm not entirely sure about. I heard one rumor that he-" the lackey was cut off abruptly by a loud thud at the door to the container

"Didn't we tell you to shut up and stay still!" one of the men yelled back angrily. Their was silence for a moment before another loud thug came at the door

"Alright that's it!" another one of the grunts roared as he pulled out his firearm and loaded it "I'm going to shut them up personally!" He walked over to grad the handle of the door but was stopped by an open hand resolutely planting itself on his chest

"Don't be so hasty, just calm down" the man agreed begrudgingly and backed away from the door. As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath a third, louder crash came at the door which broke him out of his manufactured peace

"That's it!" he screamed, now in a full on state of rage. Without thinking he leapt at the door and grasped the handle tightly. He gritted his teeth and gave the handle a hard pull which caused the door to slowly budge and open. Once the door was open he stepped into the doorway with an irate grimace on his face "Come out here you little b-" before he could carry on any further an inflated spherical object was planted on his face. The force from the impact through him backwards headfirst, right at the feet of his two partners

"What the hell!" one screamed as he reached for his gun by instinct. He lifted the gun to aim but soon found himself being struck by what felt like a bowling ball to the face. He did not fly back as his companion had but instead was flipped horizontal and slammed hard onto his back. The last standing guard was awestruck and terrified but, with a swelling of pride, held his gun out in front of him and turned the corner from behind the door and stood in the open entryway. He fired a few untargeted shots into the small area but seemed to hit nothing. He took a few steps into the container and realized quickly that the interior of the storage unit was almost pitch black. He started to quake in fear at the alarming silence. He moved to take another step forward but was stopped in his motion by a substantial force on his torso. Before he could process the pain of the impact another flying object had collided with his face and he was sent flying out of the container. Everything went black before he even hit the ground

**~End Flashback~**

"You should be ashamed. Bourbon is going to give you each a token of his appreciation when he gets back" the first henchmen scoffed sarcastically

"Speaking of which, where is he?"

* * *

"Explain to me again why we're not going to the police" Kogoro demanded coldly

"The police don't know anything about the Organization so having them interrogate him would be pointless. Plus, we have no evidence of any crimes he's actually committed in cold blood so we really have no viable reason to request his detainment" Kogoro rolled his eyes, knowing Shinichi was right

"This could be our first real step toward bringing them down" Heiji added optimistically

"I just don't know what we're going to do about Ran. We already have seven people in this car which is only seated for five" Eri said as she scanned the vehicle in order to survey the crows that had filled her car beyond its supposed capacity

"Look I'll drop you all off at the agency then I'll go back to the hospital and pick her up" Kogoro sounded confident in his plan

"That should be fine, I'll call her to let her know that you're coming" Eri returned as she lifted her phone from the inside of her pocket and typed in her number three speed dial

"Moshi Moshi?"

"Ran dear it's me I just wanted to let you know your father will be coming to bring you home from the hospital in about thirty minutes so please wait outside for him"

* * *

"Uh H-Hai but what ab-" Before she could inquire about the success of their effort to get Shinichi and Haibara back her mother had already hung up the phone. Ran sighed as she rose from her seat and gathered up her purse. As she moved to exit the hospital room she shot a warm glance at Agasa, who, despite his promise to give her one of his word famous quizzes had promptly fallen asleep after the rest of their group left. She didn't mind though, she knew it was late and he was tired from his illness. She had taken the time she had alone to put all of her feelings and thoughts into perspective. Many times she replayed her mother's and Heiji's voices in her head. As she entered the elevator and punched in the button for the base floor she couldn't help but feel a strange synthesis of anticipation and fear. She wanted to see Shinichi badly and knew that, for better or worse, they had some issues to clear up. She beamed brightly as she composed thoughts of her and Shinichi kissing for the first time after their talk. She blushed faintly but still continued to smile widely. As the elevator doors opened and she walked toward the exit of the hospital she held her hands together behind her back and looked in all different directions pleasantly. When she reached the outside of the building the cold air hit her and sent a shiver down her spine. She shook for a moment before her body adjusted to the climate change and calmed down. While the wind played in her hair and delicately brushed her cheeks she was still centered on a single thought. It was amazing really, she knew she could never really be angry at Shinichi for very long and would always forgive him eventually. But this event had really shown her just how much she cared about him. This was a huge deal, him being Conan, and yet she could hardly retain any feelings of malice toward him at all. The truth was clear to her: no matter what the conditions or circumstances, it was comforting just to know he was back.

* * *

"Here we are" the driver said to Gin as they pulled up near a small puddle jumper aircraft. Gin was the first to the car but was soon followed by Korn and Vodka. Vermouth lingered in the SUV the longest but soon found herself outside the vehicle as well. She picked up her pace to catch up to the three men who were already boarding the airplane as the propellers began to spin. She quickly hopped into the craft and slid the door closed behind her.

"How long will this flight be?" Korn asked with his head protruding into the middle of the plane to identify himself as the one asking the question

"It will be quite a while but we'll be making a quick stop in Cairo to gas up" Korn pulled his head back up onto his headrest, satisfied by the pilot's answer. The whole cabin went silent as the plane went in motion and ascended upward toward the clouds. Vermouth had always enjoyed the feeling in her stomach when a plane rose but this day it only made her feel sick. She clenched her eyes shut tightly and gripped her armrest with great force. When the plane finally leveled out she let out a sigh of relief which earned her a few glances from the people surrounding her. She shut her eyes once again, but this time it was the hopes that she would fade from consciousness, at least temporarily if not for the entire accursed flight

* * *

Eri and Kazuha entered the agency in a frenzy as they stomped around looking for the items the men had instructed them to retrieve. Eri grabbed the chair from behind Kogoro's desk while Kazuha went to Conan's room and grabbed a bundle of rope (when asked, Shinichi said he would explain why he had that in his possession at a later time). Once they had everything ready Kogoro and Shinichi appeared carrying the unconscious Okiya by his wrists and ankles. They placed him in the chair and adjusted his posture to make him easier to tie down. Once they had prepped him Kazuha went to work wrapping the rope securely around Okiya's midsection. Once she had finished she handed the ends of the rope to Heiji who expertly knotted them into what some would call a 'Triple Bow Knot'.

"Im off then" Kogoro announced as Heiji completed his restraint "I'll be back with Ran in twenty minutes" None even paid Kogoro a glance but Eri waved an absent minded hand at him as he flew out the door. They were all looking on as Okiya continued to slumber with satisfied grins. After an exchange of glances Shinichi stepped forward and brought himself within a few inches of Okiya's head. He brought his head down to face Okiya and swiftly rapped him on the forehead, jarring Okiya into a drowsy state of awareness

"W-Where…" he started before his mind recollected the events prior to his black out. He remembered dodging Heiji and then he fell over and everything went dark. His thoughts were interrupted by a weak flick to his forehead which, despite its lack of powerful still could not have been missed or ignored. He grunted as he faced forward and finally noticed the young man bent over staring straight into his eyes

"I have some questions for you, Okiya, or should I say Bourbon?" Okiya looked at him with a puzzled expression

"How did you…"

"Aside from you kidnapping me, Haibara informed me of the 'package' you sent her. She had been suspicious of you for a while but that was when she knew for sure"

"How did you know I was Bourbon?" he inquired crossly, seeming almost offended by his ability to have found out his identity at all

"Haibara said she had heard some rumors about a new agent in the Organization and the time frame fit with the time you showed up as Okiya. I told you stay at my house so I could monitor you, however I will admit I had let your presence slip to the back of mind. But with all that's happened in the past few hours I was fairly certain the mysterious Organization criminal known as Bourbon had to be you" Okiya chuckled at the detective's thorough examination

"A brilliant deduction from a brilliant detective. Now, great tantei would you kindly tell me why you've roped me up here?" he solicited in his now regained smug countenance

"As I stated before, I have a few questions for you and I would advise you to answer them to the best of your ability"

**Sorry for the short chapter, I'm gonna be honest I started this a little late so if they are errors don't worry I'll have this proofed by tomorrow morning. Next chapter we'll get a really good look at Okiya: like how he ended up in the BO, why he hates Haibara so much and yes, we will finally find out who Bourbon is and what created him**


	32. How Okiya Met Bourbon

Ran smiled at her father as he pulled up in front of the hospital. When she entered the car there was nothing playing on the radio and he had a half-used cigarette in his mouth. She closed the door behind her and Kogoro sped off. Ran was silent at first, taking time to analyze her father's countenance and deduce what might be bothering him. She could already tell he was thinking intently about something by the rate he was inhaling the smoke and depositing it out the window. His stare seemed distant and sidetracked even though his eyes were on the road. Finally Ran spoke up if for no other than to break the mounting tension in the car

"Otosan I've told you I feel about you smoking" Kogoro didn't look over at her or say anything in the way acknowledging her. Instead he placed what was left of the cigarette, which was virtually a filter, between his thumb and index finger and flicked the offending paraphernalia out the window. Ran sighed a breath of relief at her father's unusually compliant action but couldn't suppress the worry in the back of her mind. The only sound to be heard in the vehicle was the wind blowing by Kogoro's window. After a few more seconds of this the strain of their silence became too much and Ran. She threw he hand forward at the dashboard and pressed the power button on the radio. The song that rang out through the car was an upbeat pop song that sounded foreign to Ran. She set her mind to deciphering its origin however her thoughts were abruptly cut off when Kogoro reached his hand out slowly and switched the radio off again. Ran looked at the radio and then over to her father confusedly. She didn't speak up, feeling an inclination to allow him to explain himself

"Ran" he started solemnly which immediately caught her attention "it's time we had a talk". Ran's eyes widened as her mind processed the possible topics he could have planned to speak with her about.

"W-What is it?" he asked hesitantly

"Your mother told me what you two talked about" Ran's face reddened at the glance he sent her as he said this

"O-Oh really…." She trailed off. Unable to offer up any sort of defense

"She told me that you would accept a marriage proposal from him" his tone was still stern and paternal. It was strange, as long as she had lived with her father she almost heard him be so…mature.

"I uh…hai." Kogoro's ear pricked up at the sound of the unsettling syllable

"So it's true?" although the query terrified him he managed to maintain the same cold, almost indifferent demeanor he had throughout the drive. Ran paused to observe her father before verifying his suspicion. His eyes were glued resolutely on the road in front of them and he was obviously feigning disinterest. She hadn't looked closely enough before that point to notice the sweat on his brow and the whiteness of his knuckles on the steering wheel

"Hai, I do want to marry Shinichi" Kogoro clamped down on the steering wheel even tighter and gritted his teeth in his mouth. The worst part of the whole situation was that he honestly didn't have anything against Shinichi, in fact quite the opposite. He actually reminded him of a younger version of himself: An upstart detective with a future in law enforcement and a childhood friend about to become his bride. The truth was Kogoro hated the idea of any human being on God's green earth trying to take his daughter away from him. Despite his disdain for the departure of his little girl he knew he had to face the facts

"Well that's…good. I guess" Kogoro grumbled, trying to seem angry but failing miserably. Ran could tell he had just accepted Shinichi and bubbled over with joy. She leaned over in her seat and wrapped her arms around his torso, causing him to swerve back and forth until he brought the car back under control.

"But you know Otosan it's not like we're…you know _together_ yet or anything" Kogoro seemed more perturbed by this than anything else in their conversation

"But I...uh…damn that woman…." Kogoro muttered grumpily to himself, swearing vengeance on his wife

* * *

"By all means great tantei, interrogate me" Okiya seemed smug as ever in spite of the current debacle he was in

"Let's start with something simple, what were you planning to do to Haibara and I once we reached the Philippines?" Okiya chuckled at the question, finding it ridiculous and childish

"Kill you both of course. She probably would have been brutally beaten and tortured first. You would have been done away with swiftly before you could do any more damage than you already have" Shinichi tried earnestly to repress his arrogant contentment but couldn't hold back a small cocky grin as it yanked the side of his mouth up just slightly

"What about us? Were we just bait to lure Kudo to your base?" Heiji asked with Kazuha peering around the side of him with an equaled amount of curiosity

"Precisely. As I told you before, I had no intention of harming either of you" neither Kazuha nor Heiji seemed to feel any fragment of relief from his statement. Silence fell on the group as Shinichi contemplated a more insightful question. Within this space of time Okiya's eyes had fallen on Kazuha who was already uncomfortable with the situation. He moved his gaze up and down her body which caused her to quake violently and conceal herself behind Heiji. It only took Heiji a few seconds to comprehend the situation and, in a daring and bold move, reached a hand behind his back to find hers. He held it tightly once he found it and pulled her closer to him so her head was in direct contact with the upper region of his back. She flushed tremendously at the intimacy of their position but chose not to struggle against it. He concluded with a contented smile that being there was much less awkward than having that villains eyes dancing on her body. 'In fact, this isn't really that bad at all…'

"How many operatives do you have on your island base?" Shinichi asked curtly, seemingly wanting nothing more than a number

"That all depends. Our leader can call in as many men and women as he wants at any given moment. There have been as many as seven thousand Black Organization members on the island of Panay at the same time" Shinichi's eyes widened to approximately the same extent as everyone else's. The idea of seven thousand murders and criminals on an island of that size was mind boggling. The only way Shinichi could even put the number in perspective was to imagine a large portion of the crowd at a soccer match suddenly pulling out guns and shooting at him.

"All right well then w-" Heiji started but was cut off

"Why do you do this? How can you hurt so many people!" Kazuha screamed passionately, slow streaks of salty tears falling down her cheeks. Okiya turned his head toward the voice that had exclaimed so loudly but saw no face to match. Kazuha had not intended to blurt out such a question but her emotion had overcome her. Heiji moved his head to see behind him and she responded by digging her face further into his back and gripping his shirt with both hands tightly. Okiya smiled playfully at the bashfulness of the girl that seemed to contrast the nature of her outburst

"You don't need to answer" Heiji said indifferently, without so much as a glimmer of curiosity as to his motives

"No really, it's alright. I've….never said this out loud to another's living soul but this seems as good a time as any."

* * *

Takagi and Sato had been sound asleep for a little over an hour when a chirp came ringing through the bedroom. Sato was positioned comfortably with her arm draped across Takagi's chest, which to her unvoiced dismay had remained clothed. Her legs were entwined with his in a way that left little room for movement or escape. The few rings of his cell phone failed to jar them to consciousness but after nearly a dozen Takagi uncouthly swung his arm at the nightstand beside him and brought the phone to his face. His vision was blurry at first but after a quick rub of his eyes the contact's name became clear

"Hai Megure-keibu!" he said with a gusto that would have suggested he'd just gotten out of the shower and was ready for the day

"Takagi-kun we need you here now there's been a fire and it appears a number of bodies were burned" Takagi groaned internally but knew he had no choice

"I understand"

"I'll send a patrol car to pick you up. Be ready in ten minutes"

"Hai" as Takagi hung up the phone all of the unpleasantness and inconvenience of the situation became evident in his face. He begrudgingly began to carve himself away from Sato which caused her to groan out. He clasped his eyes shut and stayed still for a second, hoping she would not awaken. Unfortunately she did and she did not look pleased that he had ruined their very cozy siesta

"Takagi-kun…" she grumbled half-consciously as she grabbed at the air beside her in search of the epicenter of warmth she had come to enjoy

"Gomen but I have to go, Megure-keibu needs me and I'm on call" she rubbed her eyes and sat up in the bed to make eye contact with him.

"But I thought you were off tonight"

"I was but Megure-keibu asked me to stay on call tonight. In fact I'm actually on call the next few nights…" Sato gave him a puzzled expression

"Really? That's strange because I was supposed to be on call all weekend but Megure gave me the weekend off" Takagi choked out a forced chuckle

"Well anyway I'm off but I'll be back later, I promise" She beamed genuinely as he rose from the bed already clad in her father's shirt and blazer. He quickly slipped the pants on as well as the socks and shoes. As he walked toward the door he was stopped in his tracks by a faint whisper

"Wait…" she muttered almost mutely. He turned around to find her lying on her side with her upper body propped up by her elbow. She was scanning Takagi's figure and smiling with squinted, still drowsy eyes

"What is it Miwako-san?"

"Nothing, you just look really handsome" Takagi blush was hidden by the shadows and he was thankful for it

"Uh a-arigato. I'll see you later then" he said with a wave as he exited the room. Sato watched him leave and once the door closed again she slumped down into her pillow and ran her hand across the spot where Takagi had been lying. 'Has this bed always been so big?'

* * *

"When I was seventeen my parents were both murdered in my home. My mother was a microtechnician on a creative team that had been entrusted with the task of designing a new targeting mechanism for the Japanese military. My father was a reporter whose rise to popularity had stemmed from his unbreakable moral code. He was once held at gunpoint and instructed not to print a story about a local supermarket owner that had bumped up prices after running the surrounding smaller businesses and markets into financial ruin. He didn't print that story, instead he printed a story on how that man had hired an assassin to dissuade from printing that story. That man's name was tarnished and he was driven out of the city" Okiya smiled genuinely at the fond memory of his father "We were living in Sapporo at the time and there had been a siege on my mother's research facility. Two fo her coworkers had been mortally wounded but none were killed. However they lost their prototype of the chip they had been working on and my father printed a story about the whole fiasco" Heiji huffed impatiently as the story began to drag

"Why are we wasting our time on this?" Heiji asked the group. He received a sea of glares and a light smack on the back of his head from Kazuha who, since the story had begun had slowly poked her head out from behind Heiji

"Aho!"

"Shut up and listen Aho!" Heiji snorted in defeat and turned his attention back toward Okiya. Seeing that he had the floor once again he continued

"Well apparently the people that had orchestrated the break in were none other than your fond Black Organization and they didn't like their actions being spread through the media. In fact, it was that article that endowed them with the illustrious title Black Organization. A few nights after the incident they came to my house and murdered both my parents in cold blood. I was not awakened by this. Instead I woke up to a cold dank cellar and a sadistic grin in my face. He told me that he was my new father and that he would train me to be a great assassin. Of course I objected and so they tortured me. This cycle continued for a few weeks until I accepted him as my father and my new calling in life" His tone while recited the morbid and almost nauseating story was appalling. He appeared to feel no emotional attachment toward the incident at all. He spoke as if he was reading an article about new construction project or a new school ordinance.

"And so that made you into what you are?" Shinichi asked in an attempt to confirm what had already been implied

"That's not quite it. You see after some time I began to have encounters with…shall we say an alternate personality. I had received the codename Bourbon when I was eighteen and this persona of mine identified itself as Bourbon. His appearances were infrequent until I was assigned to my first murder. I still had lingering senses of guilt and I worried that I would not be able to take a human life. That;s when Bourbon offered his…assistance" Shinichi gave him a knowing stare

"I've heard of this psychological disorder. It's a form of schizophrenia where a person is incapable of performing a task which is necessary to their existence and they create an alternate personality that possesses the skill or courage they lack. It's most prevalent in professional athletes and other high stress jobs like fire fighting and entertainment although the disease itself is very rare" Okiya grinned at the young man's strangely accurate synopsis of his condition

"You are quite the genius Kudo Shinichi. All of what you said is true for me. Over time he became embedded in my psyche and I accepted him as an extension of myself. It lightened the emotional burden of my profession" Kazuha seemed deeply moved by his story while Eri, Shinichi and especially Heiji did not look convinced in the slightest

"Or you're simply a sociopath who's trying to use an emotional ploy to lure us into a false sense of security" Heiji suggested without any sign of remorse or regret. Kazuha wanted to reach up and hit for being so heartless but she knew in the neatly hidden intellectual part of her mind he could be right. He was a murderer by profession after all. Okiya sent Heiji an almost amused smirk

"I suppose that could be true. But you must admit it would be highly unlikely for me to make up an elaborate story like that off the top of my head" Heiji snorted at the lame come back while Shinichi decided to actually give him the time of day

"Okay, say you are telling the truth and all of the things you've told us are fact. What does that change as far as our situation is concerned? The reality of the situation is that we're going to try and get as much information out of you as possible and then we're going to turn you over to the police" Okiya once again allowed what was becoming his own trademark grin to play across his face

"I respect your honesty young tantei. You must realize that I have no intention of breathing a word to you about our doings whether it be past, present or future." Shinichi looked troubled by the realization which, despite Okiya's assumption, really hadn't dawned on him until that point. With a gleam of frustration and resolve he turned to Heiji

"Alright we'll have to wait until Mouri-san gets back with the car before we take him to the police. Until then we'll have to keep all eyes on him" Heiji nodded in agreement and then turned to Kazuha who had now completely emerged from behind Heiji and was standing beside him, albeit very closely

"Kazuha, you and Obasan can go to sleep now. Take 'neechan's room and when she gets here I'll let her know you're staying in there with her" Kazuha gave him an obedient nod and beckoned Eri to accompany her. Despite the effect being ordered around by a seventeen year old had on her pride she was fatigued and wanted nothing more than to rest. She strode over to Kazuha and together they disappeared into the apartment. As soon as the two women were gone Heiji's eyes flared and he leapt toward Okiya. In a single motion Heiji replanted his feet on the ground and thrust his fist hard into the side of Okiya's face. Due to a combination of drowsiness and pain Okiya seemed to pass out. As Heiji rubbed his now sore knuckled Shinichi walked over to him with his hands in his pockets

"What was that for?"

"Is a reason necessary?" Shinichi chuckled and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Heiji to bask in his accomplishment 'That was for kidnapping us'

* * *

"Sir Bourbon is missing as well as our hostages"

"Well if Kudo has apprehended Bourbon then he hasn;t taken him to the police yet. He probably went back the Mouri Detective Agency to interrogate him personally. Go there now and retrieve our targets"

"What about Bourbon?" Gin laughed sadistically into the phone

"He's already been compromised. Kill on sight."

**With 90,000 words in the books and alot more story to tell this may seem a bit random but I've decided to embark on side project. RELAX this won't distract me from TBAW, this story is my main concern. My new project will be a twenty shot compilation in honor of the Compilation based C2 i just brought into existence. This compilation will be different however: I am attempting to do a one shot for EVERY GOSHO COUPLE IN CANON TO DATE! The most obscure couples will be included. My first couple: Sayaka Mine and Kurogane Yaiba from Gosho's pride and joy samurai manga that started it all, Yaiba. These updates will not be as frequent as my day to day TBAW updates but I will update as often as possible. If you are into ANY couple from DC MK or Yaiba give my one-shot series a read**

**Thanks for all of your attention to this story and I hope you're enjoying**


	33. He Always Wants the Same Thing

It had been roughly twenty minutes since Okiya had, for lack of a better term, been KO'ed. He had hardly even twitched since then which caused Heiji's pride to swell. Shinichi and Heiji had been keeping a steady eye on Okiya's incapacitated form while carrying on genially about various topics including how Shinichi felt being back in his body. He was of course ecstatic about the opportunity to once again go to school and play soccer. But Heiji had something different in mind which Shinichi seemed to be skillfully avoiding

"Kudo" Heiji said in a serious tone which gained Shinichi's attention "what about 'neechan?" Shinichi's face was shaded red by the topic. He knew exactly what Heiji was insinuating but nonetheless found it incredibly embarrassing

"I uh…I mean it's just…" Heiji seemed highly amused by his friend's bashfulness

"Kudo it's been almost two years and you're still not ready for this?" Shinichi shook his head in an effort to regain a hold of his logical mind

"It's not that easy!" he yelled with an even more blinding hue of crimson staining his cheeks

"If for no other reason, do it for her. She's waited long enough after all" Shinichi held his head in shame at the realization of truth in his fellow detective's statement.

"Look I already told her I'd take her out to dinner on Monday" he mumbled as he scratched the side of his mouth precariously and shot his eyes around the dimly lit living room

"Kudo at the rate this weekend is going who knows where the hell we'll be on Monday, you should talk to her tomorrow" Shinichi opened his mouth to object when the front down suddenly flew open and revealed Kogoro with a sour countenance about him

"Oi what the hell are you two still doing up and what happened to him?" He was wary of the explanation as he noticed the streak of blood that ran from his mouth all the way down his neck and into a blood stain on his that covered the inner half of his shoulder and the upper half of his chest

"He punched him, hard" Shinichi announced with a subtle air of contentment

"Hattori-kun!" Ran yelled, seemingly disappointed with his actions

"It's alright Ran what's done is done. I'm going to bed and I suggest you do the same. He won't wake up any time soon" Shinichi and Heiji nodded and gave him a wave as he headed for his bedroom

"Goodnight Otosan!" Ran said in a hushed but cheerful voice. Kogoro smiled back at his daughter and sent Shinichi a hostile glare. Shinichi shuddered under his stare and was relieved when Kogoro finally looked away and exited the room.

"Well I'm off to bed, if you get tired just wake me up and we'll switch off watching this guy" Shinichi had no time to verbalize a protest before Heiji had already thrown himself face down into the living room couch. Although they weren't alone Ran felt comfortable enough with their surroundings to approach him

"Are you alright, Shinichi? I mean you aren't…hurt, or anything are you?" her gaze screamed concern which warmed Shinichi's heart

"I'm fine Baka you don't need to worry all the time" she pushed out a manufactured laugh and playfully swung at him, allowing him time to dodge her strike

"So what if I was worried why shouldn't I be? You were kidnapped! And…" she trailed off as her light anger fizzled into indecisiveness and fear

"Ran what is it?" Shinichi asked densely. For all his intellect he really didn't have a single clue when it came to women, especially the one he actually cared about

"I…I…" she squirmed under his gaze which, without his knowledge or intention, had shaken her to the core and driven any logical thoughts out of her head, leaving her with only strong emotions and unusually loose lips

"Ran…" he whispered gently, leaning a little closer to her face, causing a healthy blush to spread all over her face. This was the last straw for Ran who had been able to contemplate nothing but images of her in a wedding dress and Shinichi in tuxedo since her conversation with Kogoro

"I've been worrying about you for so long, why wouldn't I worry about you now?" Shinichi's eyes softened as he took in her visage at that moment. She was so genuine, so innocent and selfless, so…Ran. His Ran, the Ran he had known since childhood and had come to love over time.

"Baka I told you not to worry so much" she smiled at her thankfully even despite his words and she returned it with enthusiasm. There was a moment of silence between them before he finally spoke up

"I missed you…" he stated in a plain yet heartfelt manner. She looked up at him, almost in disbelief that he would let such an emotional phrase passed through his lips

"Shinichi…" her heart was beating at least three times faster than any physician would deem healthy. His crystal blue eyes were boring holes straight through her. She was shuddering under his gaze and he seemed to be holding himself back. His hands were shaking at his sides, as if he was straining to restrict their forward progress. She saw the confusion and indecision in his expression and moved to quell his worries. In a swift and bold movement her hands came forward and held each of his. They both averted their eyes from one another at the initial contact but settled back into a comfortable and mutual stare after a few seconds.

"Ran, there's…something I want to tell you. Something I've wanted to tell you for a long time" Ran's could feel her heart catch in her throat. She knew for a fact she had never been as anxious and nervous as she was at that moment. Shinichi searched her eyes for the courage to finish his statement. She returned his gaze with longing eyes which he understood. He swallowed hard and gripped slid his hands outside of her and squeezed them tightly "I was going to save this for Monday but I wanted to ask you something"

"What Shinichi, what is it?" She asked, almost pleaded, taking another small step toward him, bring there bodies within mere inches of one another. Shinichi's breath hitched as he inhaled her scent which was all the more prominent in his senses as she closed the gap between them

"I…It's uh…" Shinichi stumbled on his words but still pressed on gallantly. He reached a tremulous hand into his pants pocket and felt around for the item he always kept with him when he was in his real body. He had decided he wanted to have it with him anytime he was with her just on the off chance that the moment seemed right. As he pushed his hand deeper into his pocket he slowly came to realize the awful truth: the ring was gone. At some during his evening the engagement ring he had kept with him for so long had disappeared. He muttered curses to himself, leaving Ran utterly puzzled

"Shinichi?" he almost gasped at her voice and felt a strong urge to run out of the room. However there was one factor that kept him from doing so: her fingers had now interlocked themselves with his, making it impossible for to separate from her without actually ripping his hands away

"Ran I forgot something. I'm sorry, really, but I need to ask you a favor" she raised her eyebrow his a questioning expression

"Hmm?"

"I need you to wait until Monday. Trust me, I promise what I have to say is important but I can't say it yet, not like this. Please Ran" Ran couldn't suppress the disappointment that rose in her chest but she did her best to hide it on the surface. She beamed at him as if he had hardly asked her for anything at all

"Okay Shinichi, I'll wait." Shinichi heaved a heavy sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders which had apparently been very tense throughout their exchange. They both remained mute for a lapse of time but neither seemed to have any inclination to move. That is until Ran remembered something important she had meant to do upon entering the apartment "Shinichi?" she asked sweetly

"Hmm?"

"I need to use the restroom" Shinichi needed a moment to process the statement but once he had he jumped backwards, releasing her hands in process. She giggled at his delayed reaction and resulting embarrassment. She exited the room in a hurry, leaving Shinichi alone with nothing but the stillness of night to serve as a witness to his unrestrained grin. Or so he thought

"Oi Kudo" Heiji's voice rang out and caused a shiver to shoot up Shinichi's spine. He chose not to move over toward Heiji or even acknowledge him with a glance

"What is it Hattori, shouldn't you be asleep?" Heiji chuckled under his breath

"Kudo that was pitiful. Really awful" Shinichi felt his fists clench at his sides and a vein protruded from his forehead

"How could I tell her? I don't even have the ring!" Heiji shot up from the couch to face his friend

"Ring? I was suggesting you tell her how you feel, maybe ask her out not p-propose! Are you insane!"

"Look I already decided when I tell her everything I'm going to propose, that was always my plan" Heiji pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration

"You're supposed to move into these sort of things gradually" he muttered, now more annoyed than angry

"Who are you to give me advice, Hattori? Weren't you the one who gave Toyama-chan a kiss on the hand? Hmm Romeo?" Heiji blushed and lowered his body back down onto the couch

"How did you even find out about that?" He mumbled, still trying to hide his embarrassment

"How do you think?" Heiji rolled over and shoved his face into his pillow and said something muffled that sounded like 'Damn woman'. Shinichi grinned and sat down in Kogoro's chair behind his desk ' Looks like I have to go shopping this weekend' he thought as he leaned back in the chair with a wide smile

Meanwhile Ran, after completing her business had decided to head to bed. She was on the verge of passing out and she saw no need to go back and bid Shinichi a good night. As she entered her bedroom she noticed a slender form consuming a portion of her mattress. She giggled as she realized who was in her bed and decided against waking her up seeing as it was nearing two a.m. However at the same time she was not necessarily willing to relinquish her bed completely and so, after undressing and throwing on her nightgown she gracefully slid under the covers beside Kazuha. Her Osakan counterpart let out a faint moan and shuffled a tad before settling back into her spot and returning to her previous state of tranquility. Ran tried to her best to snuggle into a comfortable position but found it difficult as her thoughts continued to swirl in her head. The same question that had caused her so much emotional stress earlier that night still plagued her weary mind 'Shinichi...how could you lie to me...' she let a small tear glide gently down the side of her face and dampen her pillow. She squeezed her pillow a little tighter and clasped her eyes shut, hoping sleep would come relatively easy to her.

**Just a brief single perspective scene because I know everyone has been wanting another development there. Enjoy this fluffy little piece**


	34. Two Shots in the Dark

'What have I become?' Vermouth thought as she looked around at the people that were supposed to be her fellow agents. _That person_ had told her when she was a new recruit that the people of the Organization were like a family. They always watched out for the best interests of the Organization which included its agents. Vermouth had been alone for so long that she took those words to heart. The idea of having a real family warmed her heart and soothed her soul. It gave her a reason to live and breathe. Every life she had taken, every objective she had completed had all been for an idea, a concept. To have people that loved her and cared for her and valued her was worth everything. She would sacrifice her innocence, her independence, her beliefs even her life. Nothing held any meaning to her as long as the people that were supposed to be her family remained just that: her family.

**~Flashback~**

"Do family members kill other family members?" Vermouth asked _that person_ who had taken a special interest in making sure the newest recruit was content

"Well that would depend"

"On what?" Vermouth asked innocently, genuinely curious to hear the answer to her question

"Well if that one person was a detriment to the rest of the family and it was in the best interest of the family for that person to be done away with then it would only be logical for the family member to be killed" Vermouth grasped her chin thoughtfully

"So if I…"

"Don't speak so pessimistically Vermouth. Remember it is your job to look out for the best interest of your family. As long as you do that their will never be any reason for you to be harmed or done away with" Vermouth felt a small smile creep onto her face

"So as long as I do my best and follow orders I can still be part of the family" _that person _smiled warmly at her even though she couldn't see it

"Yes sweet girl. And I have faith in you"

**~End Flashback~**

That was nearly fifteen years earlier and today the values by which she had executed her missions were crumbling before her. Over the years the pseudo-family that was supposed to embrace her with love had become cold in her eyes. Maybe they had always been that and she was just naïve before, she wasn't sure. All she knew was one morning she woke and she held a crushing fear in her chest. This wasn't a fear of failure of a fear of disappointment, this was different. Never before had she felt like the people she served and held in such a high esteem would betray her. The worst part was that one she was most terrified of was the one she had held the closest to her heart, the one that had meant more than the others. He was the one that tore her out of her fairytale and brought her back to reality. 'Gin…'

* * *

'This sucks…' Shinichi thought as he scanned the darkness of the Mouri living room. He had been left awake to watch the hostage while Heiji and everyone else had drifted off to dreamland. It was after three a.m and while Shinichi an iron will there was only so much a person could take. In one day he had gone through a severe infection, grown ten years in three hours, raided a Black Organization hideout, been kidnapped and escaped said kidnapping. Needless to say he was exhausted and in need of some rest. Unfortunately for him sleeping was not an option considering the situation. He knew he had been tied up securely but nevertheless leaving Okiya unattended would have been a ridiculous notion. Worst of all there was absolutely nothing he could do. The lights were off except for a dim lamp that illuminated the area Okiya was in. The darkness left him no chance to read and the Osakan detective on the couch ruled television out. He sighed and sunk his head down, saying a silent pray for morning to come soon.

* * *

Ran had found sleeping impossible. No matter how comfortable she was or how warm she was her eyes would not stay shut. Ever since her conversation with Shinichi she had been able to think of little else except him. Her heart jumped every time she imagined the dinner they were going to have together in two short days and then it sank every time she remembered what she had been told by Agasa earlier that evening. The strange thing to her was that she wasn't angry in the slightest. Anger was the last thing she was feeling in fact. She was more hurt than anything, hurt and curious. She knew Shinichi better than anyone else in the world which meant that she knew he wouldn't have lied to her without a reason. He wasn't the kind of person to simply do harm to another person without a motive, especially her. She knew how he felt about her although they had skirted the issue since their debacle in England. And given the fact that Shinichi was Conan he had known how she felt about him for a while. But still, even with all of this in mind she still couldn't alleviate the pain she felt. She knew there was only one way to put it all to rest and hopefully in the process put herself to rest.

* * *

Every tick of the clock reverberated deep in his head. He could actually feel the seconds roll by and it was deeply unnerving. Just as he thought he might lose his mind her heard a voice so melodic he would have called it God's gift to man

"Shinichi?" Ran called out softly into the darkness, awaiting a response

"I'm here Ran" he responded, immediately recognizing her. She followed the sound of his voice and within seconds was standing in front of him

"How are you doing?" she asked with great concern as she scanned his face and noticed the dark circles around his eyes

"I'm alright. Why are you still awake I thought you went to bed hours ago" Ran looked away from him and flushed subtly

"I couldn't sleep" Shinichi rose from his chair, bringing him within a foot or so of Ran

"Why's that?" he seemed almost protective when he asked her

"I was thinking…" he took another small step forward causing her to shudder at his vicinity

"What could you be thinking about at this hour?" he solicited playfully, smiling at her and seeking her eyes. After a few seconds of silence Shinichi made a bold move and lifted her chin to see her eyes

"S-Shinichi…" she muttered in a lame effort to deter him

"Ran what were you thinking about?" Shinichi could sense her internal troubles and wanted badly for her to be relieved of them

"Well I was just thinking…." She moved away from him and swiftly walked toward the window where the clear sky allowed the beautiful moon beams to shine down on her. Shinichi observed her for a moment, trying to memorize every detail of her appearance in that light. He had done this many times as Conan because he knew his best chance at remaining sane was to keeping her visage prominent in his mind. After taking a sufficient amount of time to soak in her appearance her strode closer to her, although not as close as he had been before "Shinichi what do you think is worse a sin of action or a sin of omission?" Shinichi could hardly believe the question she had just asked him. 'Where did that come from?'

"Well from a legal standpoint a sin of action would be more punishable" Ran shook her head, still facing away from him and smiling at the moon which continued to grace her with its delicate light

"No no I mean in your heart. Which do you feel is worse?" Shinichi pondered her query for a moment with intense concentration

"I suppose it would depend on the case. For example if a man allows another man to be killed in order to save the lives of other I can't say I would deem him a criminal. But if someone decides not to stop a mugger or a thief out of sheer cowardice that would be a different story" Ran's smile faded away and she bowed her head, averting her eyes from the night sky. Shinichi began to consider whether or not he'd done something wrong until she turned to face him with tears in her eyes. At that moment he knew exactly what she had been talking about

"So" she started, striving valiantly to speak coherently despite the dampness in her eyes "If someone you loved lied to you and hurt you and made you wait forever to see them but did it for your protection it would be okay?" the tears spiraled out of control and she found herself sobbing uncontrollably. Shinichi's legs moved without any conscious command on his part and before he could comprehend what was happening he was holding her tightly in his arms. She hiccupped at his contact and pressed her face into his chest with held her hands to her chest

"Ran" he whispered comfortingly into her ear. She calmed at the sound of his voice and tilted her head up to look at him. The tears had stopped but there was still significant evidence of the crying she had done.

"Why Shinichi?" she mumbled in a hardly understandable manner. He didn't need to hear her words to know what she was asking; he could see it in her eyes. Those eyes that usually glistened deep blue were blotched with redness and her cheeks were stained with tear streaks. He knew what she wanted to heat and he knew he had to tell her

"Ran I had meant to tell you this at dinner on Monday but I guess it's better if I tell you now. I assume you already know about my situation" Ran nodded but did not move away from him which was comforting "Ran I'm sorry I lied to you. The night it happened Hakase told me it would be best if I kept my identity a secret for your safety. The truth is Ran the people that did this to me are bad people. Really bad people, people like him" he accented his point by using his head to gesture toward Okiya who was still utterly incapacitated

"So…you thought if you told me they would find out?" Shinichi shook his head

"No Ran, I thought if I told you they would hurt you. I knew I was hurting you by being away but if it came down to your safety versus your happiness I would always take your safety. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you" Shinichi began to trail off toward the end of his statement which disturbed Ran

"So all this time…" she muttered under her breath which made Shinichi cringe

"I understand if you need some time to think or if you want me to leave"

"No" she shot back almost instantly. Shinichi jumped a little at the ferocity she insisted with "I mean…" her voice softened once again "I'd rather you stay here" A surprisingly comfortable silence fell on them as Ran allowed her head to fall back onto his chest. He tightened his grip on her possessively somewhat out of fear that she would change her mind but mostly out of ardor and joy. This was the first time he had ever held her in this fashion and they were both trying to relish in the moment. After a minute which passed far too quickly she pushed on his chest to separate them and he reluctantly released her. She beamed up at him with huge eyes that brought him as close to tears as he had been in a long time

"Now can you sleep?" her smile didn't falter at the question

"Hai but Shinichi?" he felt his heart skip an anxious beat

"Hmm?"

"Is it alright if I sleep out here?" Shinichi was baffled by the nature of the question for a split second before he realized what her sleeping out there meant for him

"Ran why would you do that when you have your own bed? How about this, I'll stay with you until you fall asleep" Ran's cheeks erupted in crimson as she processed what was without a doubt the sweetest she could have ever imagined him saying

"Okay" was all she could bring herself to say. He smiled happily at her willingness to concede to his suggestion. He took her by the hand and led her through the darkness of the house and into her bedroom which already housed another teenage girl who, to his surprise, made almost no noise at all while she slept. He would have to remember to defend her the next time Hattori tried to say that she was the one that snored. Shinichi stood by stiffly as Ran climbed under the covers of her bed. Once she was securely in her bed and ready to go to sleep Shinichi crept toward her and sat beside her bed. His height made it so only his head was visible to Ran as she laid on her side facing him. It was amazing to her how he didn't need to say or do anything to comfort her, his presence alone was enough.

* * *

"Now remember, we're here to kill Bourbon and kidnap the two hostages that got away" a faceless grunt reminded the three teammates he had with him. They were all stacked in front of the door at the Mouri Detective Agency, with three of them standing behind the newly proclaimed leader who already had his hand on the knob. He revealed a small metal pick and went to work on the keyhole on the doorknob. Experience made it a relatively easy to unlock the door and within just a few seconds the door was cracked open. The leader tiptoed into the living room and scanned it for movement or any signs of consciousness. Once he had confirmed all were asleep he moved forward and motioned for his companions to accompany him. They did so and soon they were spread out across the room checking every crevice of the small apartment.

"Psst" the leader voiced, waving a hand to flag down the rest of his team. They all flocked to their superior who was hovering over a chair that appeared to have a body in it. Once they came around the back of the chair they were all aware of who exactly their leader had found

"Sir?" he was already fastening the silencer onto his pistol. He held the gun out and pointed it at their former leader's forehead. With no sign of remorse he pulled the trigger and blood sprayed out behind him, hitting everything from the carpet to the wall. The team of criminals all stood still for a moment after the deed was done and reveled in the event. Before they could completely gather themselves mentally they were startled by a noise just a few feet away from them. In one fluid motion they all turned to see what it was and to their shock and dismay it was a person

"Oi Kudo what are you doing I'm trying to sleep" Heiji voice was gruff and drowsy as he rubbed his eyes to bring the world into focus. The three lackeys all looked to their leader who was sweating nervously. As Heiji rose off the couch he was met with a surprise

* * *

*BANG*

* * *

At this point Shinichi was about five seconds away from falling asleep. He had acknowledged this fact a while back as Conan but it still rang true: Ran was beautiful when she slept. Obviously she was stunning all of the time but there was something about her when she slept that made her even more adorable to him. This along with the steady rhythm of her breathing and the already present contentment he was feeling from their conversation and subsequent 'moment' was enough to send him drifting off into lala land. Just as slumber seemed to be inevitable for him something broke the stillness in the apartment

A scream

It was Heiji

In a nanosecond every eye in that building was open. Ran and Kazuha both flew into an upright position. Ran turned to ask Shinichi what happened but was already out the door. He flicked the light on as he exited so Ran and Kazuha had to squint as they rose from the bed. Soon Eri and Kogoro were outside their room as well with their light on followed by Ai who had taken up residence in Conan's old room. Within the span of ten seconds most of the lights in the apartment were on.

* * *

"Sir what do we do?" a henchman asked the man who had just shot Okiya and Heiji

"We don't need a bloodbath tonight nor do we need the media attention. Come on we're leaving" without any question they all flew out the door in a organized fashion. They descended the stairs of the building and disappeared into the darkness of the night

* * *

"Oi Hattori-" Shinichi choked when he saw Heiji lying on the floor facing the ceiling. His shirt was soaked in blood already and his eyes were dazed. He ran over to him but before he reached him he noticed another startling sight. Okiya's head was leaning back against the chair and there was a hot flow of blood coming from it. Shinichi needed no more than a glance to know he was gone. He clenched his fists and pressed on toward Heiji. Once there he fell to his knees beside him and instantly started to analyze the situation

"Oi Kudo" he muttered softly

"Shut up Hattori save your energy" he commanded as he tore away his shirt to identify the location of the wound. As he tried his best to wipe away whatever blood he could to find the entry hole of what he could only assume was a bullet he heard a pair of equally high pitched squeals behind him

"Heiji!" Kazuha screamed as she sprinted toward him

"Toyama-chan stop. I need you to call an ambulance now!" he demanded curtly and definitively. She did not question his command but could not look away from Heiji even as she made the call. While she contacted the hospital Ran dug her face into her father's chest while Eri gripped his arm tightly. Ai had already taken a position right next to Shinichi and was doing her best to help him patch the wound

"Kudo-kun I need you go to the kitchen and heat the top of a spoon over the stove" Shinichi lingered for a moment, silently questioning her request "Now!" she roared in a tone far outside what he had assumed was her range of emotion. He nodded and moved hastily into the kitchen to retrieve the aforementioned item. It only took him a few seconds to fulfill the request and soon he was beside her again. She reached up and took the heated utensil from his hand

"What are you going to do?" Heiji asked weakly

"Hattori-kun I need you to try your best not to move, this is going to hurt. Kudo-kun I need you to hold him down as best you can" Shinichi comprehended her intentions and despite his lack of assurance in her plan placed his hands on Heiji's shoulders. The item in her hand was red with heat as Haibara lowered it to his skin. With a forceful motion she pressed the searing metal to his wound causing him to wail in pain. Shinichi struggled to hold him in place as Haibara continued to add pressure. She could hear the blood sizzling under the intense heat and knew they were almost done. Kazuha had just hung up the phone when she heard Heiji cry out again and her gaze intensified. She could see what was happening but she could not move. She felt completely paralyzed by the whole situation as the tears began to fall from her eyes like rivers breaking through dams. Haibara finally relieved the pressure she had put on his wound and sighed a breath of relief as the bleeding seemed to minimize. Shinichi went to work wiping away the remaining blood from his chest and face.

"The ambulance is on its way" Kazuha said in almost a whisper, still unable to see clearly through her misty eyes

"Good" Shinichi mumbled under his breath


	35. Airline Antics

"Camel are you going to eat that?" Jodie asked as she peered down covetously at the snack chips he had concealed in his carry on luggage

"Uh yes" he said in a worried tone as he noticed her eyes relentlessly staring at the bag he had just opened. Jodie had slept for most of the trip; after all, an eleven hour nonstop flight over the ocean can be brutal on the body and mind. However surprisingly she had woken up abruptly at the sound of Camel's chip bag opening. Now she had hunger in her eyes that seemed a little over the top considering the object of her attention was nothing more than a vending machine snack from an airport lobby.

"Oh…okay" she whimpered with a sad look in her eyes as she turned her head to face the window. She let out an audible sigh that Camel had heard on multiple occasions and he knew exactly what it meant. Jodie had always been the kind of domineering woman that got her way and that's all there was to it. It was a very attractive feature to him but it was nevertheless an inconvenience at times. He knew she would do anything it took to get her way, even if it meant resorting to a tactic as low as silent coercion.

"The food cart should be back soon" he noted lightly, trying to encourage his female partner. She turned and gave him a weak smile

"Okay Agent Camel" He knew she was really pushing hard at that point. She had done two things in that response that sent up red flags for him. One, she batted her eyelashes and shot him the most obvious puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. Two, she used his full title. This act was comparable to his mother using his full name when he was a child. In addition to these two factors there was a third reason he was suddenly feeling obligated to relinquish his small snack.

"Uh Jodie…" he started nervously. The fact of the matter was Jodie was a bombshell and he knew it. Anytime she looked at him the way she was now and asked him for a favor he couldn't help but fold and oblige her

"What is it?" she asked, making sure to employ another helpless and innocent stare

"I'm not going to eat these do you want them?" he asked plainly, offering her the bag of chips. Without a moment of hesitation she thrust her arm forward and swiped the food from his grasp. He looked at her astonished by her zealous retrieval of the bag

"If you insist! Thank you!" she exclaimed ecstatically as she began to graze on the snack. Camel grinned, feeling accomplished at his deed. As he watched her eat he was warmed deeply by the genuine happiness she was experiencing from such a simple gesture. 'That's why' he thought to himself 'we give the one's we care about what they want' as he finished his contemplation his right knee was suddenly impacted by an oncoming drink cart. As he grimaced at the pain and rubbed his sore knee he couldn't help but add a point to his previous mental observation 'even if it means giving them the window seat'.

"Oh Camel can you grab me a bottle of water when that drink lady comes back?" Jodie asked with a bubbly disposition

"Sure" he replied curtly as he continued to nurse his now throbbing knee

* * *

There were times where Vodka truly disliked his partner. Through their years as companions they had a number of conflicts both verbal and physical. To date Gin had shot Vodka on two occasions and Vodka had punched Gin once and drugged him once. Well to be exact, Vodka punched Gin in the face for making a threat to kill his parents in a brutal manner, to which Gin responded with a bullet to Vodka's thigh. After being rehabilitated Vodka decided to seek revenge for the wound he had received so he incapacitated him with a high dose of Flunitrazepam, or 'date rape drug'. Gin remained unconscious for nearly twenty four hours which resulted in him missing an important meeting with _that person_. This absence resulted in him receiving a thorough tongue lashing. A few days later it was brought to Gin's attention that the one who administered the drug was Vodka and, being a level headed man, Gin shot Vodka in his other thigh.

Needless to say their relationship was both volatile and secure. It may come as a surprise but for Gin to aim for any place other than the head of his target was actually a rarity. Despite all of their history there was one habit of Gin's that infuriated Vodka to no end: his snoring. In their profession one would assume a vice like loud obnoxious snoring would be a detriment and yet it had never seemed to a factor in their assignments. It still didn't change the fact that they were on a plane and his high volumed waling was drawing attention from half of the passengers. Not to mention it was prevented him from getting a wink of sleep much to his dismay

* * *

Yuusaku had always been aware of the fact that his pattern of dreaming was odd. He had told his wife of dreams where he was a fish in a sea of soup or a falcon flying alongside his son and another tan-skinned teenager who were in there normal bodies but had wings jutting out from there backs. There was even one dream he had where he was a tiger with a teenage girl strapped to his back. In this dream he was accompanied by an armored frog walking on its hind legs, a vulture and a short young man with a sword larger than he was. Despite this tendency to think abstractly when asleep this flight had heralded no such dream. Instead his unconscious meditations had been pleasant and simple.

His dream began with a seemingly infinite white space, which was filled only by a single house. He recognized this house well, for it was his own manor in Japan. It was the place where his son was raised. As he walked toward the front door he ran his hand across the pane of the door and recalled carrying his new bride into their new home. As he opened the door he was pleasantly surprised to find his beautiful Yukiko sitting on the couch in their living room clad in her wedding dress. He smiled warmly as she looked up at him, silently beckoning him to join her. In an instant he was wearing his own tuxedo and he hastily went to her and took her up in his arms. She giggled at his forwardness and he kissed her passionately. Even as he walked toward up the stairs toward their bedroom he did not break the kiss. Finally they separated so he could open the door and she could breathe. They entered the room and soon engaged in another equally love-laced lip lock as Yuusaku kicked the door closed behind him.

* * *

**In honor if 100,000 words for TBAW I decided to make it my mission to hit 100,000 words exactly. I needed something short and filler seemed to be the answer. The real story picks up tomorrow**


	36. Company

"This is getting too dangerous. First Hakase's in the hospital and now Haibara and Hattori. I don't know what to do…" Shinichi along with Kogoro, Eri, Kazuha and Ran had been waiting in the hospital lobby for upwards of six hours. They had arrived in the middle of night and sat patiently as the sun rose outside the hospital walls. Shinichi was by far the most distraught about the situation. Kazuha had cried for the better part of an hour when they first arrived but soon afterward fell asleep soundly with her head on Ran's lap. Ran had consoled her with all the tenderness of a sister which had made the whole experience bearable for Kazuha. Shinichi, despite his mind being engulfed by thoughts of guilt, frustration and helplessness had still found a few moments to appreciate Ran's gentle spirit and beautiful character.

"Shinichi you can't blame yourself for this" Ever since Kazuha had fallen passed out Ran had taken to comforting the person that meant the most to her though her efforts had been to little avail

"How can you say that? If I had just…" Shinichi dipped his head down and caught it in his hands. Ran took her hand away from its peaceful stroking of Kazuha's hair and brought it Shinichi's cheek. Shinichi's skin warmed at her touch and he turned hesitantly to meet her eyes. When their gazes locked he felt a wave of solemnity wash over him. He couldn't help but marvel at the effect just her eyes had on him

"Shinichi if you had continued to live as Conan it wouldn't have helped anything. If what Okiya said is true then they were already suspicious of you. It wouldn't have made a difference" Ran's serious expression altered slightly into an encouraging smile "so please stop sulking". Shinichi obliged her with a feeble grin. His effort however didn't seem to satisfy her and she decided to attempt a different tactic. As Shinichi hollow smile disappeared from his face Ran removed her hand from his cheek and ducked her head down hastily to look at Kazuha. She wore a grimace on her face that Shinichi couldn't help but notice and interpret

"Ran are you hungry?" Ran glanced back at him with admittance written all over her countenance

"W-Why would you say that?" she solicited in an effort to goad him into answering which she quickly she found to be successful

"Ran I've know you since we were children, you really don't think I recognize the face you make when you're hungry?" Ran blushed faintly but continued to face her companion whose head was still pressed against her lap

"Baka Shinichi…" Shinichi grinned genuinely for the first time in hours

"I'll go get us something to eat from the kitchen downstairs" he declared as she rose from his seat

"Wait!" Ran exclaimed with restrained volume to gain his attention. He turned to see what why she had beckoned him

"Hmm?"

"I want to come too" she whispered, seemingly embarrassed by her own desire to accompany him

"Ran aren't you busy right now?" Shinichi teased, gesturing toward the young woman currently occupying the upper half of her thighs. Ran looked down at Kazuha then back up at Shinichi. She contemplated the situation for a moment before apparently coming up with a solution. In an 'Indiana Jones'-esque movement she carefully removed the sweater she was wearing and placed it between herself and Kazuha's head. Then she slowly and precisely edhed herself out from under her friend while still holding her head up with the sweater under it. Once Ran was completely free from her seat she delicately lowered Kazuha's head onto the seat where her body had once been. Kazuha sniffled and shifted slightly but quickly returned to her deep slumber.

"Ready to go?" she asked cheerfully. Shinichi was impressed by her poise and skill and amiably nodded at her. Together they started to walk toward the main hall that led out of the lobby until a shrill voice stopped them dead in their tracks

"Oi where are you two going?" Kogoro asked without so much as a movement. His eyes were still closed and Eri was still propped up against his shoulder. She didn't seem to notice his words because she hardly moved either

"Otosan we're just going to the kitchen to get something to eat" Kogoro remained still but internally he was giving the notion seriously thought. After a few seconds of awkward silence he finally responded

"Bring me back a bagel or something" just then Eri's head shifted slightly and her lips formed a subtle grin

"And some yogurt if they have it" her volume was hardly enough to reach the ears of the two teenagers standing across the room

"And get some yogurt for your mother" Kogoro reiterated, apparently addressing Ran exclusively

"Hai!" Ran returned happily as she turned her back to her parents and began to walk away. Shincihi quickly followed her and caught up, taking a place by her side. In a spontaneous and bold gesture Ran reached out and took Shinichi's hand in his. Shinichi was baffled by the contact and quickly went to work trying to deduce its meaning and significance as they strode down the hall toward the stairs

* * *

"Sir?" the self proclaimed new leader of Okiya's syndicate subgroup had been pacing and deep in thought since they arrived back at the dock where they had been stationed to begin with. It had been six hours since their botched reacquisition of the two hostages Kudo Shinichi and former Black Organization agent codename Sherry. The rag tag group of criminals had yet to take any sort of action toward a second attempt at gaining back their lost captives. This huge lapse of time had left the group nervous and anxious

"Let me think alright this situation is delicate" the leader responded angrily

"But sir we haven't even contacted Gin yet and informned him of the recent developments. He is expecting the vessel he sent to be in Panay by tomorrow with those two kids" a large vein began to pulsate atop the pseudo-captain's forehead

"You don't think I know that! Look we can't go back to _that person_ empty handed. If Gin finds out what happened to Bourbon he'll kill us for sure. We need to find a way to get that Kudo buy and Sherry back. I would rather be late with the hostages than be on time without. Do you understand?" the underlings nodded

"Hai. So then what are we going to do?" the interim leader took a firm hold of his chin and thought hard. Then, with a look of determination he raised he head and addressed the entire group, which was littered around the area but all within earshot

"Listen up this is the plan. We are going to stake out the Beika Hospital. We will make no move to enter the building, the setting is far too public. The last thing we need is attention from the media so we will wait for the targets to come out of the hospital and capture them in that fashion. Is that clear?" the group all nodded in unison except for one subordinate who raised his hand to ask a question. The leader rolled his eyes and unwillingly pointed at the raised hand to accept the inquiry

"Uh what if the targets are not alone when they exit the building?" the leader shot the man an evil grin

"Eliminate the company"

* * *

"Are you ready yet?" Gin solicited impatiently, looming over the helpless pilot as he detached the gas cap from the underside of the left wing

"I'm sorry but I can only fuel the jet so fast. I've already completed fueling on the starboard I just need to finish the port" Gin growled in his throat, effectively petrifying the pilot

"How much longer?" he asked in a husky baritone. The pilot stuttered in fear as Gin moved his head closer

"A-About fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty…." Gin gave the poor man a stare full of hate and wrath then drew back and chuckled maniacally

"You best hope so" As he turned and walked away the pilot began to fumble with the gas cap in his hands and shake nervously. Gin walked stiffly until he reached the rest of his associates who were all lounging around in the sun waiting begrudgingly.

"How much longer?" Korn asked curtly, apparently bothered by the intense desert heat

"Not long just be patient" Gin reassured him condescendingly. No one in the group felt any obligation or inclination to speak with one another so all were silent. Vodka Gin and Korn all sat in fairly close quarters while Vermouth had herself spaced out across from them. This sort of awkward instance had not been uncommon to the coworkers throughout their flight.

"So Gin I wasn't aware you were such a snorer" Vermouth stated with an air of amusement in her voice. Gin grimaced and lifted a pistol out from his jacket

"What was that you annoying b-"

"Gin" Vodka caught his attention and shot him a disapproving look. Gin looked down at his gun and then laughed outlandishly which terrified all of the people present including Vermouth

"My apologies, it must be the heat" he declared calmly as he lowered himself back into his seat. Korn crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his chair, feigning disinterest as he usually did. Vermouth meanwhile was completely focused on Gin, who despite his now cool demeanor was still obviously fuming. 'I need to be careful, at least for now. If he goes off like that again and no one is Vodka isn't there to calm him down who knows what he'll…' she trailed off in her thoughts, trying to avoid the mental image she knew continuing on that thought track would lead to. Silence befell the black clad team again until after what seemed like an eternity the very timid pilot came over to them and leaned over Gin's ear. After listening to what the pilot whispered to him Gin rose and gestured for the rest of them to do the same

"Are we ready to go?" Korn asked casually, already fairly certain of the answer

"Hai. A few more hours and we'll at Panay Island"

* * *

"Hello KID" Snake said in an uncommonly welcoming tone

"Good evening my black clad friend what brings you to this fine rooftop this evening?" Kaito asked mockingly but earned no response from Snake

"That's amusing KID but tonight I have no time for your games. I have a message for you" Katio raised an eyebrow of curiosity, only displaying a small fraction of his actual interest

"Oh? And what could that possibly be?" Snake grinned maniacally and slipped his gun into his jacket

"You can have that Pandora Gem. Turns out my superiors have no use for it now, we're dealing with something much bigger" Kaito was now in full blown astonishment. So much so in fact that he was hardly able to maintain his trademark Poker Face.

"Are you sure about that? Has the prospect of eternal life somehow lost its luster?" he solicited, trying his hardest to coax any more information he could out of the murderous fiend standing before him

"Oh I'm sure. What we're planning is something much grander with more staying power, something that no one can stop. Not even the illustrious Kudo Shinichi or you Kaito KID. This will be by far the Organization's greatest gift to mankind." Kaito could feel his palms sweating under his leather gloves which seemed much thicker than they had a few moments prior. For the first time he could remember he was speechless. When he put on the guise of Kaito KID his character usually included having the infallible ability to come up with a witty response at any moment.

"Really? Well perhaps I'll have to apprehend this miracle of yours" Snake scoffed at him as if he was making it his business shatter the magician's spirit with every breath

"Oh I don't think that will be happening Kaito KID. What we have is no jewel or gem that you can simply pick up and fly away with, it's something different, something groundbreaking. Don't feel too bad though, this won't be the last time you see me. I promise you that" as he finished his statement a sleek black helicopter appeared behind him. He smirked arrogantly as he grabbed the aircraft and swung his leg in the door. As he pulled the rest of his body in Kaito could only look on in horror 'There's no way I'll be able to glide with that helicopter there. By the time the area is clear enough to take off they'll already be gone. But there has to be something I can do…' As the chopper flew off Kaito grinned contemplatively and raised his communicator to his ear

"Jii-san" Kaito said, awaiting a reply

"Master Kaito what is it?" he asked worriedly. The only times to his knowledge that Kaito had ever called him during a heist was when he either damaged his glider or lost an article of his costume. In either case it meant he had to go and pick him up

"I need you to track a helicopter. It's heading in your direction, it should be above you in less than two minutes"

"Understood Master Kaito, are you returning now?"

"Hai I will be there in ten minutes I'll see you then"

"Right" Kaito put the communicator away and looked at the rooftop door with a tired expression. 'Any second now Nakamori-keibu should be coming.' In an uncharacteristically unshowman-like move Kaito simply placed the Red Sky jewel on the ground and ran toward the roof ledge to fly away. As the doors flew open revealing a plethora of police officers Kaito leapt off the roof and activated his glider. Nakamori could only watch and curse at him as Kaito fluttered away gracefully and eventually disappeared into the night.

"I'm glad that went smoothly" Kaito muttered to himself as he breathed a sigh of relief. 'But…' he started internally, feeling a heavy weight crash down on him 'What now? I've spent so long pursuing this gem, so many nights. How am I supposed to justify my actions now that I have nothing to show for it? I failed to attain retribution for my father's murder and I've hurt the people closest to me in the process. All this time I was fixated on attaining vengeance and now I am left with nothing.' As he flew on, feeling the wind in his hair he took in a full breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth. He had always enjoyed the scent of the night air, especially when he could sift the clouds. Despite everything that had happened and all of the lurking self-doubt in his subconscious one lighter thought dominated his mind 'I want to take Aoko flying one day. I think she would like it…'

* * *

**A few things**

**1.) for those of you who had been waiting for it there, Kaito is now in the picture. I told you its all part of the bigger picture**

**2.) I will be starting school up again as of Wednesday so I want you to be aware that I will not be posting everyday as I have throughout this month. I will update as often as possible so please be patient with me**

**3.) I feel the need to give a few thanks **

**- Thanks to Chelsea and anyone else who left me reviews. I appreciate both encouragement and criticism so thank you and I hope to get more feedback in the future as the story progresses further**

**-Thanks to those of you who don't review but still keep up with the story on a chapter to chapter basis. Its thanks to you that TBAW had reached well over 3000 hits just this month**

**-Thanks to those of you who took the time to recommend this story to fellow readers. Its great to know its getting circulation**

**4.) For the record, thus far my streak stands at 36 straight days. I will most likely post a chapter tomorrow but its highly probable that the streak will end at 37**

**5.) And if you're starting to pick up my other project Gosho Couples don't be alarmed I will definitely that often. If you're haven't read that yet you should because I believe at the end you will appreciate the spotlight it's going to give some of the less appreciated couples and the perspective it gives to the main couples**

**This is Matt Gallion, once again thanking you for tuning in. Please continue to do so**

**and Happy February **


	37. The Reawakening

**Tokyo: 9 a.m**

**Panay Island: 8 a.m**

"Hakase you shouldn't be out of bed" Haibara scolded him with an air of concern masked effectively by her characteristically cold demeanor

"Oh I'm fine I feel well rested. It's you I'm worried about. Shinichi told me about your run in with Subaru-san" Haibara lifted her opposite hand to touch the now bandaged wound on her shoulder

"The doctor said I should my blood level should normalize within a few days" Agasa nodded and smiled contently

"You've always been resilient" Haibara returned his smile as Agasa lowered himself into a chair beside her bed

"Have you seen Hattori-kun yet?" Haibara asked with a serious inflection in her voice. Agasa shook his head

"Not yet, I only woke up a few minutes. I thought I would come and see how you were doing first" Haibara softened her features and grinned at the Professor

"Arigato Hakase" Agasa sent her a gentle smile and a comfortable silence fell on them

* * *

"Sir we've just landed" Gin said straightforwardly

"Good, your escort should already be there" Boss responded curtly

"Hai" Gin hung up the phone and tucked it into his pocket. He turned toward the open space on the runway of the private flight strip and was met by a sleek black SUV. As the vehicle came to a halt his fellow Organization members walked past him toward it. Once he had inventoried and confirmed that everyone was in the car he himself moved into the front seat and closed the door behind him

* * *

"Kaito!" Aoko screamed angrily at the still sleeping teenager. Kaito leapt out of the bed, frightened by the sudden burst of volume

"What the-" Kaito snapped, standing upright on his mattress, swiveling his head to identify the source of the disturbance which so rudely awoke him

"Kaito" Aoko said in a quieter yet still fury-laced voice

"Why are you here so early baka! It's Sunday!" Aoko's feet began to tap impatiently on the wood floor, creating a subtle clicking noise which echoed throughout his room

"Kaito…." She growled, now with clenched fists

"Huh?" Kaito questioned her growing rage innocently

"You asked me to come over you baka!" Aoko erupted in a complete frenzy. Kaito stared at her blankly while his still half-conscious brain tried to process what she was referring to. Unfortunately for him, every second he took to think the vein pulsating on Aoko's forehead grew in size and magnitude. Finally after a thorough amount of meditation on the subject a memory came racing through to the forefront of his mind

**~Flashback~**

'Hmm….well I know she's already in bed so I'll just send her a mail and she'll get it tomorrow' Kaito grinned happily as he went about punching in the letters to the good-intentioned message. Once the typing was done he pressed send and through his phone onto his desk. He had already stripped away his white suit and was now clad in some baggy clothes for sleep. He flopped down onto his bed and let out a contented sigh then drifted off to sleep

**~End Flashback~**

'Crap I actually sent that!' Kaito thought with a nervous expression

"What's wrong with you now Kaito?" Aoko asked with growing concern for her 'husband'

"What? Oh nothing it's just I had forgotten I actually sent that to you" Aoko drew back away from him and her face contorted into one of dejected insecurity

"D-Did you not mean to send it?" she asked, breaking eye contact. Kaito realized what she was getting at and he strode over to her, bringing himself almost face to face. She looked up and blushed when she realized their proximity

"Of course I meant to, I just forgot I did. Don't be so emotional or people will think you're pregnant" Kaito chuckled to himself as Aoko's face went red with anger and embarrassment

"Kaito!" he roared as she grabbed a mop from the corner of his room and proceeded to chase after him with great zeal and enthusiasm. As Kaito continued to sprint around his room while dodging swings he made a mental note to remove all the cleaning items from his house, or at least hide them in places where Aoko couldn't get to them

* * *

Kazuha took a deep breath in as her dream came to a close and she found herself awake once again. She rose from the awkward sideways position she had been sleeping in for the last six or seven hours and scanned the waiting room. She first noticed Kogoro was gone and Eri was still asleep in her seat with her head leaning to the side, implying that she had been resting against her husband's shoulder at one point. As her eyes moved down the row of seats they met what she had personally decided was the 'destined couple'. 'They really are perfect for each other' she reflected with a softened gaze as she stared at them. Shinichi was awake and sitting upright in his chair stroking Ran's hair delicately. Ran, meanwhile, was still asleep and contently at that with her head pressed up against his shoulder. She broke her gaze away from them and rose from her chair. When she got to her feet she could feel Shinichi's eyes moved toward her

"Good morning, Toyama-chan" he whispered, never ceasing with his gentle ministrations

"Oh good morning Kudo-kun" she replied genially. She gave her another smile before turning his attention back toward the object of his affections. She looked at them for a moment longer before and urgent thought crossed her mind. Without a word she burst out of the waiting lobby and dashed toward the hallway she knew led to Heiji's room. When she arrived she felt her breath hitch but threw the door open nonetheless

* * *

"Morning" Heiji said amiably. Kazuha felt a few tears well up in her eyes and she ran toward him. When she got to his bedside she didn't wasted no time wrapping her arms around him in a tight and protective embrace. While her intentions were sincere she overlooked one tiny thing

"Aho my shoulder!" Heiji wailed out in pain as the Kazuha's hug pressed up against his wound. She instantly drew back and wiped the tears from her eyes

"Gomen I wasn't really thinking…" Heiji's anger died before it even sprouted and a small yet warm smile played on his lips

"It's okay it doesn't hurt that much" Kazuha changed her expression to feign frustration and she put a hand on each of her hips

"Aho don't say things like that, you were just shot of course it hurts" Heiji turned his head away from her forcefully, raising his chin up and pressing his eyes shut. Kazuha mimicked his motion except she further accentuated her point by spinning around so her back was facing him. There they stood for the better part of a minute, each stubbornly facing away from the other with an indifferent grimace. Kazuha was the first to break their standoff by slowing turning her head toward him. Heiji noticed her movement and shadowed them. Soon they were face to face again and a new, more awkward silence befell the room. After less than five seconds Kazuha spoke up

"Heiji…" she muttered nervously. Heiji glanced at her with interest in his eyes, trying silently to encourage her to continue "you never told about what you said, you know…when we were in that cell" Heiji stared at her confusedly for a moment before her words sunk in. He blushed faintly and darted his eyes around the room, trying to avoid Kazuha at all costs. She stepped forward, bringing her waistline in direct contact with the metal rim of the hospital bed. Heiji continued in his valiant and futile effort to avoid looking at the woman stationed firmly in front of him. His evasion tactics only lasted a few more seconds before he felt a warm hand gently touch his injured shoulder. The contact was not in the least bit painful; in fact it was almost soothing. He leaned into the touch slightly, giving her inaudible permission to move her fingertips. She smiled and softly ran the edges of her fingers along the contours of his shoulder, causing Heiji to shudder at the sensation.

"K-Kazuha…" he stammered, still rendered hardly coherent by Kazuha's display of affection

"Does that…feel…good?" she solicited timidly, undoubtedly fearing his answer. Although the first thought that entered Heiji's mind was to scream denial he chose to ignore that instinct for once in his life. He chose not to answer verbally but instead he leaned his back against his pillows and shut his eyes, letting out a contented sigh. Kazuha was flattered by the gesture and continued her tender massaging. Heiji allowed his eyes to fall closed as the pain in his arm all but dissipated. Soon enough, though not by his own volition, Heiji had slipped back out of consciousness. Kazuha sensed he had fallen asleep and slowly lifted her fingers away from his skin. Heiji's face contorted at the loss of contact but after a few seconds he returned to his peaceful slumber. Kazuha had always been fond of his sleeping figure and in a move she wasn't sure if she would regret, she bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead. Heiji didn't seem to notice the gesture and she moved to leave the room. As she opened the door she was met by a high-strung Kogoro

"Oi is that punk still passed out?" he asked grumpily. Kazuha nodded with a seemingly misplaced expression of satisfaction as the images of Heiji's adorable sleeping face continued to dance around the forefront of her mind. Kogoro grinned with evil intentions and strode past Kazuha into the hospital room "Wake up punk!" Kogoro roared causing Heiji to practically fall out of the bed

"Aho what the hell are you doing!" Heiji lashed back, annoyed by the disturbance

"It's after 9 o'clock, you don't get to just lay around and sleep just because you're in the hospital" as he finished his statement a shy nurse tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around to face her and she trembled in fear

"Uh M-Mouri-san, I told him that he n-needed to get p-plenty of rest" Kogoro stared at her suspiciously for a moment before turning back to face Heiji

"Well fine then go back to sleep" he grunted in defeat as he stomped out of the room. The nurse followed him, leaving Kazuha and Heiji alone once again

"H-Heiji?" Kazuha mumbled, drawing out a questioning eyebrow from her crush

"Hmm?" Kazuha blushed hard and giggled girlishly to herself

"Nothing" she spat out hastily as she sped out of the hospital room. Heiji could only stare at the door with a puzzled expression and try his best to analyze what exactly had just taken place and what could possibly make her act like that

* * *

As Kogoro reentered the waiting room he was met with a sight that made his boil

"Oi brat! Get away from my daughter!" he roared, noticing the way Shinichi was caressing the top of Ran's head. The sound of his voice caused Ran to stir and slowly part her eyelids

"Hmm? What is it?" Ran mumbled incoherently as she rubbed her newly opened eyes. She moved to stretch her arms out but jumped when she felt her forearm rub again something warm. She swiveled her head and blushed madly when she realized it was Shinichi who was so close to her

"Good morning" he said with a cheerful smile, amused by the newfound timidity of the girl next to him

"Shinichi! H-How long have you been there?" Shinichi gave her a mystified expression and raise his eyebrow questioningly

"What are you talking about? Do you not remember what happened last night?" Ran looked up at the ceiling and grasped her chin contemplatively

**~Flashback~**

"Okay Ran what do you want?" Ran shook her head and smiled contently

"Nothing I'm not really that hungry" Shinichi was visibly baffled by her seemingly nonsensical decision

"Ran I already told, I can tell when you're hungry and I can definitely tell when you're lying. Now, what do you want, I'll get it for you" Ran sighed in defeat and glanced at the various options for sustenance

"I guess I'll have a yogurt too, arigato Shinichi" Shinichi grinned and walked up to the open food counter. He retrieved two yogurts, a bagel and a black coffee for himself along with two spoons for the women. Once he had what he came for he motioned to Ran

"Come on let's get back" Ran made no gesture of agreement. Instead she moved hastily to his side, cutting the distance between them to almost zero

"Wait…" she muttered bashfully. Shinichi stopped his forward progress and spun around to face her

"What is it Ran?" he asked with a heightened level of concern

"Shinichi you…I mean…." Shinichi waited silently for her words to form a coherent statement "I…Shinichi I don't want to wait anymore!" she almost shrieked, causing her voice to echo throughout the currently empty kitchen area

"Ran what are you-"

"I've been waiting so long and now you're here and you said you aren't leaving, so why can't you tell me your 'important thing' now?" Shinichi trembled nervously as Ran continued to huff furiously. He knew it was over, his little game of cat and mouse was going to have to end. He took in a deep breath and reached his hands out, grabbing each of her shoulders firmly

"Ran it's…it's not just what I want to say, it's what I want to _do_" Ran's anger subsided as if it never even existed and now her eyes were wide and her vision was growing misty

"Shinichi…"

"Ran I promise you I am not doing this to upset you, I just want this to be perfect. You have to trust me" Ran let her body fall forward and crash into Shinichi. Her head rested firmly on his chest while her arms dangled at her sides. Shinichi was forced to sustain her body weight by wrapping his arms around her torso, pushing her even closer to him. Shinichi's blush went out of control while Ran's face remained unfazed. She only smiled contently as her eyelids quickly clamped shut, leaving Shinichi confused and awkwardly positioned with the unconscious girl in his arms

**~End Flashback~**

Ran's face took on a hue that was comparable to that of ripe Red Delicious. Shinichi chuckled as he rose from his chair

"So now you remember ne?" Ran curled into a fetal position of embarrassment which only served to further amuse Shinichi

"Shinichi" she called out in a muffled voice, considering her face was pointed directly at her thighs and her knees were almost in her mouth "you didn't have to…carry me, did you?" Shinichi knelt down in front of her and stared deep into her eyes with an air of seduction

"Of course I did, how else would you have gotten up here? I brought you up and sat you down next to me and then I fell asleep. When I woke up her head was on my arms and I didn't want to wake you so I just waited" Ran unraveled her body and sat up straight in front of him

"Oh…arigato, Shinichi" she thanked him sheepishly. Shinichi got up from his lowered position and started to walk away from her. She was almost hurt until he waved a hand behind him

"It's no problem. I'm off to check on Haibara and Hattori" Ran shot up out of her seat and ran after him

"Wait I'm coming too!"

* * *

"Passengers we are beginning our descent into Kalibo National Airport, there will be shuttles available to any of our visitors looking to travel to various parts of the island. Thank you for choosing Filipino Transnational as your airline for intercontinental travel, we hope to see you again"

"Camel, wake up" Jodie said authoritatively, instantly jarring him from his slumber

"Im up, are we in descent?" Jodie nodded, still facing forward

"It's finally time, we're going to put an end to all of this." Her conviction was almost startling to Camel but he shared her sentiments. The time had come for an all out war with the criminals they had been hunting for so long. Although her mind was ready to die for her duty, her heart had a different reason to be so determined 'Shuu….'

* * *

Yuusaku stretched his arm and yawned loudly, expressing without words just how long and enjoyable his rest had been. He was surprised with himself, many times before he had traveled by plane and he had never been able to sleep like he had this time. Though he didn't want to linger on the thought too long, he was fairly certain his extensive rest had a lot to do with the content of with dreams. There was only one place he could be with her and he wanted to stay there as long as possible as often as possible. As the memories of his pleasant flooded into his mind he full a burning anger fill his hearts and thin his blood. He could sense the rate of his heart beat and the speed of his blood flow increasing. He shook his head and breathed deeply, trying valiantly to calm himself down. After a few minutes of silent meditation he finally brought his mind and body under control and decided to focus on a different matter 'Which of these passengers is the tail that James sent?' As he pondered the question internally Jodie was vigilantly watching his movements as she had been for the majority of the flight

* * *

"Well are you ready to go?" James asked the agent standing before, clad in a burgundy t-shirt covered by a black pull over sweater and black jeans. The agent grinned confidently as he pulled a beanie cap over his head and removed a cigarette from his mouth

"I'm the one who's been waiting on you James-san" James ran his thumb and index finger over his gray mustache

"I suppose you have. Well I suppose you're waiting has come to end. Let's go, we need to hurry if we're going to reach Panay Island by night fall" the agent nodded and opened James' office door to exit. James followed behind him and they both made their way toward the elevator. As they walked neither spoke, as their thoughts were far too enveloped by the prospect of what their venture might have in store

**Oh I wonder who the mysterious agent is :P**

**Sorry I meant to finish this chapter last night but i decided the quality would be better if I was completely awake when I wrote it so really the wait was for your own good**

**The moment of truth is drawing near, and with it the climax to our hypothetical ending**

**I wish the real show was this close to being over**

**Oh well, hey remember**

**Reading is mandatory**

**Reviewing is encouraged**


	38. Assistance in Apprehending

**Tokyo: 10:10 a.m**

**Panay: 9:10 a.m**

'This is so wrong' Sato thought to herself with a glum expression as she clicked through the channels on her television. She was clad in the same pajamas she had worn to bed, feeling no particular need to clothe herself in anything presentable. 'First I get the weekend off, then Wataru proposes, and now….' This track of thought had been looping through her mind since the second she woke up, which was nearly two hours prior 'now I'm here alone and he has to work all weekend. I can't believe him, who volunteers to take three consecutive sixteen hour shifts?' she sighed and let her head fall onto the arm of the couch.

* * *

"Takagi-kun!" Megure yelled out from the other end of the floor. Takagi had been dosing off so the booming voice of his superior caused him to leap up out of his chair and stand at attention with his hand placed instinctively on his forehead in a salute

"Hai!" Megure strode over to him with a business-like expression

"Takagi-kun we're needed at the Beika Hospital" Takagi lowered his hand wiped his face in order to clear away any evidence of his mid day nap

"Is this about Mouri-san and Kudo-san?" Megure nodded, pinching the bill of his hat

"Hai, Mouri-kun called and asked if we wouldn't mind coming and talking with them about the incident in more detail. Apparently there is a lot more to this case than just what occurred last night" Takagi absorbed the information but formed a questioning look on his face

"But Megure-keibu, why are you taking me instead of Shiratori-san or another higher ranking officer?" Megure couldn't help but scratch the back of his head and returned the puzzled expression Takagi had given him

"Well that's the strange thing, Kudo-kun requested you specifically. He didn't give a reason, he just said 'Oh and keibu, bring Takagi-keiji with you'. When I asked him why he said he'd explain when we arrived. I trust Kudo-kun's judgment so there must be a reason" Takagi nodded and Megure regained his serious countenance. Without a word Megure turned and walked away, leaving Takagi to fumble around with his paperwork before chasing after him

"Megure said he'd be here in fifteen minutes" Kogoro stated as he walked into the hospital room. Despite Heiji's injury he insisted on being given a wheelchair so he could congregate with his friends as well as his fellow ward members. Agasa's doctor decided he'd healed enough to be mobilized so he was allowed to walk on his own. Haibara's room had been chosen as the place for everyone to lounge in, considering that she was the only person incapable of moving. The group had brought in some extra chairs so all of the women and Agasa could sit while Shinichi and Kogoro stood.

* * *

"So you're sure about this Kudo?" Heiji asked, twirling his chair around to face him

"I'm sure. Telling the police will not only give us more freedom and resources to investigate with, but it will also help us keep the incident out of the media for the time being" Ran, who was seated in front of Shinichi turned her head to indicate she was speaking to him

"But Shinichi won't the police want to take over the case?" Shinichi shook his head and placed his hands on the back of her seat

"That won't be a problem, for one Mouri-san and I have enough leverage with the police that they will respect our wishes. And furthermore they have more experience than we do with armed invasions and capturing culprits. Their support is vital if we plan to go to Panay Island" as the words spilled out of his mouth every head in the room jerked around to look at him. Even Haibara lifted her head up off of her pillow and sent him a glare

"Wait if we _what_?" Heiji roared with shock and fear

"Kudo-kun that's stupid, we can't just go off to another country like that I mean we have school tomorrow" a vein pulsated on Heiji's temple as he spun around to face his lady love

"Aho! This is no time to think about school!" Kazuha rose from her seat and pointed her index finger at him

"You're the Aho AND you're in a wheelchair how can you expect to do much of anything!" Heiji moved to stand up but quickly felt a surge of pain in his shoulder and fell back down. Kazuha's expression softened and she reached down to tend to him while he gripped his shoulder. As they shared an intimate moment Kogoro snorted and turned back to face Shinichi

"That kid is right, this is a stupid plan"

"Honey you know he's right stop being cold to him because he's dating your daughter" Eri snickered to herself as the faces of her daughter, her husband and Shinichi all burst into bright red

"But Ran said-" he cut himself off and looked own at his daughter who, to everyone's surprise, said nothing in the way of a denial. Shinichi had quickly noticed this and chose to remain silent as well. With a lack of verbal dispute to the point acting as conformation Kogoro's face turned crimson with frustration and unwarranted rage and he huffed out of the room. Eri gave each of the teenagers a comforting smile before she rose to track down her hyper-emotional husband.

"So Kudo…" Heiji started with a taunting grin on his face. Ran and Shinichi's cheeks were colored even darker and Heiji chose to let insinuation speak for itself

* * *

"So where are we going Kaito" Aoko grilled him with a confused yet overwhelmingly curious expression. Kaito had been avoiding this query since the moment they left his house and he had been doing a pretty terrible job of it

"Uh it's….a surprise" he spat out unconvincingly. Aoko's face hardened and she turned her head away from him

"You've been saying that for nearly an hour now, why don't you just come out and say it?" 'Because I don't have the words to tell you…'

"Because that would ruin the surprise silly girl. Tell you what, how about I give you a hint so you can occupy your mind while we walk" Aoko seemed unsure for a moment but conceded and turned back toward him

"Fine, what's the hint?" Kaito smirked and slowly slid both of his hands into the opposite sides of his button up shirt then, in a flash he ripped them out revealing a spray of confetti and a swarm of doves. Aoko jumped at the sudden burst of color and movement but settled when she realized what was happening

"That's my hint?" Kaito wiped each sleeve of his shirt and shot her a confident glance

"Yup and I'm not saying another word until we get there which should be in about ten minutes so you better think fast if you want to guess before then" Aoko's face contorted as her brain went to work which amused him. 'There's no way you'll guess this, but not to worry, you'll know soon enough Aoko…'

* * *

"Sir" Snake said with intent into the receiver of his phone

"What is it Snake?" _that person_ asked, seemingly disinterested

"I've set the trap for the Kaito KID" a devious sneer painted itself on _that person's_ face

"Excellent Snake, now all we have to do is wait, he'll come soon enough, and when he does-"

"Bang" Snake interjected suavely, finishing his superior's sentence with a calm and sinister tone

"Precisely my friend. This is one target that has eluded us far too long. We'll clean up the mess with all of these failed test experiments and finish off that illustrious fool in white in the process."

"I can't wait. Until then, what are your orders?"

"Continue to monitor him but take no action. Let him come to us on his own terms"

"I have one question" Snake stated hesitantly

"Please ask it"

"What if he doesn't pursue us? It may seem stupid knowing that bastard but it seems as if he wasn't really in this to stop us at all. It's like he only wanted the gem" _that person_ chuckled lightly into the phone, causing Snake to growl in anger

"You give him far too much credit. If nothing else his curiosity will get the better of him."

"I understand. I will continue monitoring the target until further notice" _that person_ laughed heartily into the phone

"Snake no need to be so official, we've worked together for many years now." Sanke grinned to himself and sighed in relief

"Gomen, Shouchuu-san"

* * *

"Oh Mouri-kun!" Megure exclaimed from across the waiting room, catching Kogoro and Eri off guard

"Keibu you're here already? It's hardly been five minutes" Megure scratched the back of his head and laughed trying to hide his embarrassment at the mis-estimate

"Well you see I calculate my arrival time including traffic and this morning there really wasn't any"

"It was actually pretty strange" Takagi chimed in to support his boss' point. Kogoro nodded in understanding and pointed at the room where Haibara was being treated

"They're all in there keibu, including that Kudo brat" Eri slapped his arm with a stern look

"Kogoro what did I tell you about that?" Kogoro brushed her hand off and stomped away toward the room that Megure and Takagi were heading toward. Megure opened the door and all three of them entered followed fairly closely by Eri who had her arms folded in front of her and appeared irritated

"Oh good keibu you're here" Megure was flattered by the comment but coughed and regained his professional composure

"Uh Kudo-kun why is it you called us here?" Shinichi grinned confidently and turned to face the inspector fully

"Keibu, I need your help. The men that did this to Haibara and Hattori, we know who they are and where they are. What we need is assistance in apprehending them" Megure and Takagi looked at one another in disbelief for a second

"Well who are they?" Takagi asked with his notepad in hand

"We don't know them by names, only aliases. A few of them are Vermouth, Vodka and Gin but there are others. Look there names aren't important, they are all part of a multi-national crime syndicate and they have a base in the Philippines" Megure rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly a few times, trying to snap out of the apparent daydream he was in

"How did you come across this information? How are you involved in this Kudo-kun?" Shinichi heaved a heavy sigh and bowed his head for a moment. After mustering up the internal fortitude necessary to answer the chief's question he raised his head and stared him in the eyes

"That case that I've been away on all this time, well, that was it. I was…affected by them and I took it upon myself to pursue them. Unfortunately I got in too deep and I was forced to stay away from here for fear of getting those closest to me hurt" Megure's expression hardened as he tried to digest all of the information. While he was gripped to silence Takagi swallowed hard and addressed Shinichi

"So Kudo-san you were being pursued by this syndicate and that's why you stayed away?" Shinichi nodded with a heavy heart. He glanced down to see that Ran's countenance was one to match his; dark and dreary

"Ran…" he whispered, hoping she would hear him but intending for her to. Her ear pricked up and she swiveled toward him. Her eyes were wide and red with the obvious signs of tears forming. He could only imagine what she was thinking and feeling. He knew he needed to relieve her stress so in a characteristic move he leaned over to place his mouth by her ear and whispered almost inaudibly "I promise I'll explain everything" before she could even acknowledge his words Takagi spoke up again

"So where exactly is this 'base'?"

"Panay Island, on the western coast of the Philippines" Takagi nodded knowingly

"Right I went to that place when I was seven for a vacation with my family" Shinichi glum expression quickly dashed Takagi's cheerful disposition which had developed as a result of his fond memory

"A lot has changed since then"

**So boss has a name now huh? And how is this bit with Kaito going to relate to everything that's happening? Questions will be answered as the story progresses**

**we're only chapters away from the beginning of the end so stay tuned and remember**

**Reading is mandatory**

**Reviewing is encouraged**


	39. The Ol' Plunge and Pray

**Tokyo: 10: 25 a.m**

**Panay: 9: 25 a.m**

"So do you give up?" Kaito asked cutely serving only to further annoy Aoko whose anger had been steadily rising as they walked in silence. She hated how intelligent he was and she absolutely despised how aware he was of it.

"Yes Kaito, I give up now what are we doing?" Kaito grinned victoriously and pointed his index finger straight upward. Aoko followed the indicated direction of his digit until her eyes feel on the helipad rooftop of an immense skyscraper. She opened her mouth to question his meaning but was cut off by the index finger of his other hand being pressed against her lips

"Shh, just wait a little longer, then you'll really see what we're doing here" Despite her burning desire to inquire further she decided to trust him so she nodded compliantly. Kaito grinned confidently, removing his finger from her mouth and using that hand to take a hold of her wrist. She blushed at the brashness of his action as he dragged her through the swinging glass doors of the building

* * *

"You can't just leave me here Kudo!" Heiji roared violently, now out of his wheelchair with pain written all over his face

"Hattori I told you, you're in no condition to be involved in this. You can hardly even stand up" Shinichi knew for a dead fact that Heiji's arrogance wwas going to cloud his judgment on the subject

"He's right Aho!" Kazuha screamed from behind him. Heiji turned around frailly, trying not to cause himself any more pain than he had already by standing up in the first place and looked at her confusedly

"What are you saying? I have to help I can't just sit here and do nothing" Kazuha's eyes began to water and her face went red with rage

"Don't be so stupid Heiji! You know you're only going to get hurt and if that happens then I'll…" she trailed off as the tears she had been holding back throughout her rant sprang forth, choking her words out rendering her hardly able to breathe. Heiji's countenance quickly morphed into one of concern as he fell back into his chair and rolled over beside her. She wiped her eyes and looked down at him as he enclosed her hand in his

"That's why I have this" he said, motioning down toward the omamori hanging from his neck. Though his nurses had discouraged it Heiji insisted he be allowed to keep the charm with him. Kazuha's rage faltered and she gave in to his grip, lacing her fingers with which caused a massive blush to sweep across her face.

"Heiji…" Once Heiji realized Kazuha's resolve had melted a confident grin played on his lips. He turned back around toward Shinichi and hardened his expression

"I'm comin' with you Kudo" Shinichi opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he noticed Kazuha's mesmerized countenance as she stared at the hand that had taken hold of her own. He heaved a heavy sigh and begrudgingly accepted the reality of his friend's stubborn nature

* * *

"How do you intend to get us to Panay Island under the radar James-san?" James grinned cunningly and pointed out toward the helipad on the roof of the F.B.I building which was visible from his office

"Simple, we go by helicopter to our exclusive F.B.I government airbase and take the six passenger plane. It will enable us to fly nonstop and we'll be able to fly directly over open sea. We should be able to reach the Philippines within eight hours" the man standing across from James raised his head up and stepped out from the shadowy corner he had been concealing himself in

"Then let's get going."

* * *

Yuusaku walked through the mob that crowded the airport lobby with a determined gleam in his eye. He paid no mind to the bystanders he shoved out of his way as he strode hard toward the exit of the building. His speed continued to increase along with his desire as the exit came closer. He wasn't the only person in the hoard of bodies moving with purpose toward the end of the airport however

"What's our plan from here Jodie-san?" Camel asked as he bumped into various shoulders and arms

"For now we do as we were instructed and trail Kudo-san" Camel nodded in compliance and pressed onward through the dense ocean of airport patrons. As they continued on Yuusaku slowly started to disappear among the men and women weaving through the narrow passageway that led to the escalators.

"Jodie-san!"

"Don't lose him!" Jodie exclaimed semi-frantically, pushing people out her way with every step she took. Camel had resorted to simply holding his forearms out in front of him and plowing forward. When they finally reached the escalators they both stepped onto one and scanned the surroundings for any sign of Yuusaku

"Damnit!" Jodie yelled in frustration. Camel simply let out a sigh and placed his hands on the top of his head in defeat. As the two now infuriated agents descended toward the exit Yuusaku stood above them at the area right before the escalators watching them. 'Gomen, but this is a personal matter' with that thought in mind Yuusaku walked hurriedly back into the crows to locate the alternative exit he knew to be on the other end of the airport

* * *

"What's our plan keibu?" Megure looked at Shinichi with confusion and concern

"Kudo-kun I can't allow you to accompany the police on this. If these people are as dangerous as they seem it would be wrong to put a teenager in harm's way" Shinichi seemed completely blown away by the Inspector's statement

"But keibu you can't jus-"

"Kudo-kun! I've made my decision now I suggest you stay here with your friend's and let us take care of this" with that Megure turned around and left the room. Takagi lingered, still staring at Shinichi with sympathetic eyes

"Gomen, Kudo-san. I know it's not like you to stay away from the case but I think Megure-keibu is right. You're just a young man and it would be wrong to put you in danger like this. Thank you for the tip off though, we'll be sure to take of the matter" once he finished speaking we waited for a reply from Shinichi which he did not receive then he departed in search of his superior.

"Kudo" Heiji stated brusquely to gain Shinichi's attention. He turned around and looked at Heiji blankly, apparently still having trouble digesting exactly what had just occurred

"Shinichi…" Ran whispered almost to herself as she searched Shinichi eyes for the confidence and burning desire she had fallen in love with. Heiji spun himself around in his chair to face Kazuha and beckoned for her to lean down to his level. Once she was eye to eye with him Heiji brought his lips to her ear and whispered something discretely. Kazuha looked at him inquisitively for a moment but after verifying Heiji's seriousness with a stare she nodded and left the room. Now only Heiji, Ran Shinichi and the half conscious Haibara were left.

"Oi Kudo snap out of it!" Heiji blurted out bluntly, earning an angry glare from Ran. To both of their surprises however Shinichi actually responded

"What do we do now?" he asked in an obviously hopeless tone

"You act like we've never solved a case without the help of the police"

"Don't be foolish Hattori this is just any murder case, this is a full scale invasion. We're not looking for clues we're trying to extract criminals from a fortified base!" Heiji ducked his head to calculate his rebuttal when Ran spoke up

"Shinichi you can't give up like this, it's not like you. You've never given up before so why now?" Shinichi was awestruck by his now unofficial yet slightly more cemented girlfriend's comment "I mean you've been chasing these people for so long why would you stop now?" Shinichi felt a combination of guilt and obligation which was only heightened by the look on Ran's eyes when she turned to him

"Listen to your gal Kudo, you know she's right. We can't go down this easily" Shinichi felt a confident grin spread across his face and a sudden fire rise in his chest. He straightened his posture and held his head high

"We're going to need a plan if we want to pull this off"

* * *

"Kaito what is this?" Aoko asked hesitantly as she overlooked the edge of the roof. Kaito had been squeezing her wrist relentlessly since they entered the building. He had even insisted on holding her throughout the elevator ride which Aoko, with flushed cheeks, chose not to question. Now they were overlooking the street from the top of the office building and Aoko had no idea why

"Shh I don't want to tell you, I want to show you." Although Kaito's face seemed confident and excited internally he was ready to burst into flames. He couldn't help but feel an unruly fear as he comprehended what he was about to do. Would Aoko accept him?

* * *

"Keibu, what's our course of action?" Takagi asked in an official manner. Megure caressed his forehead with his fingers and heaved a sigh

"We'll have to inform the higher authorities of the situation and await orders from them. This case is outside of our jurisdiction" Takagi raised an eyebrow and shifted in his seat to face him fully

"Higher authorities?" Megure continued to face forward and nodded

"Hai, the F.B.I. I know a few of the agents from the last time they came to assist us. You remember when Mouri-san was a target of that crime syndicate and we assisted in the stakeout of his agency?"

"Right I remember. There was the agent uh…Akai! That was his name, Akai Shuuichi" Megure nodded again

"Mhm and others as well. We'll have to get in contact with them. I suspect the people Kudo-kun was referring to are the same as those people from that other incident." Takagi's face hardened as he mulled around the information he had just received. While Takagi's thought preoccupied him Megure pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number

"Superintendent….hai….we spoke to Kudo-kun, he said he has a lead on the location the assailants…hai…I believe there's more to this than just…hai…right I wanted to suggest that we contact our partners at the F.B.I…hai…hai…we'll be there soon" Megure hung up the phone and continued to drive without a word to Takagi. The call had sufficiently regained his attention and now he eagerly awaited an explanation

"Keibu?"

"The superintendent agrees that there's more to this than it seems, although he isn't so sure about it's connection to out previous case with the F.B.I. For now he is going to call one of his associates and we are to report back to headquarters." Takagi nodded in compliance and faced forward once again. Despite the lack of evidence to support it he couldn't help but feel ominous about the impending situation

* * *

"Look if we're not going to do anything here can we go I'm getting cold, it's windy up here" Kaito smirked and strode up behind her, place his hands on her hips

"That's why I picked this place" Aoko turned her head and glanced at him questioningly

"What are you…" she trailed off, becoming helplessly lost in his gaze

"Turn around and close your eyes" despite her wariness about the request she complied

"Kaito if this some sort of trick I will-" before she could verbalize her threat she felt herself leave the ground as two arms caught her. She was suspended in the air in what she could only assume was a bridal style hold considering her eyes were still pressed tightly shut. She heard something that sounding like a sheet flutter in the wind and then her heart flew into her throat as her mind registered what was happening

* * *

"So when are we leaving?" Heiji asked, assuming victory

"Who said you were coming?" Shinichi solicited with a mocking expression

"Just try and stop me" it was at that point that Kazuha's conscious mind returned to her and his words from a few minutes ago registered

"Heiji you're not going!" she screamed vehemently, causing Heiji to nearly jump out of his chair. He readied himself for a retort when a groan came from the occupied bed beside them

"" her words were indecipherable but they served their purpose

"I think we need to find somewhere else to talk" Ran suggested as she rose from her chair

"I agree, let's ask for a ride back to my house" the room consented and one by one they left the room. Shinichi held the door to allow their exit but as he turned to follow a voice beckoned to him

"Kudo-kun…" Haibara mumbled in at a hardly audible volume

"What is it Haibara, you should be asleep" Haibara chuckled subtly to herself

"You know she won't let you leave her again…" Shinichi considered denying any knowledge of what she has implying but being of sound mind he found such a measure pointless

"I know, I plan to leave when they fall asleep" Haibara sighed and raised herself up to lay eyes on him

"So you plan to go alone to go take _them_ on. You know that's suicide and you won't accomplish anything" Shinichi's was visibly torn by her logic and the complications it posed

"But how can I put them in danger? After all this times and all the lies, all the times she's had to cry, all that pain I caused to protect her you expect me to just put her in the line of fire?" the topic obviously upset him and Haibara usually avoided it but at this point that was not an option

"Kudo-kun you need to think of this from her perspective, you've been away for two years and now that you're back you want to go off on your own to fight a dangerous crime organization. What would you think if you were her?" Shinichi's preformed response faltered and he stood in silence, unable to manufacture anything that resembled an argument. After a few seconds Haibara's tone morphed into a more comforting one "Besides, you need her as much as she needs you. Now go, you have planning to do and I need to rest" Shinichi grinned at obliged her, exiting the room

* * *

"K-Kaito?" she muttered as her eyes shot open and she embraced the view from their altitude

"This is what I wanted to show you" his voice was soothing and assured, melting all of the fears Aoko had developed during their short flight time. She turned to look at him and felt her heart sink even as her body continued to glide on the gusts of wind around them

"You're…" Kaito conjured a warm smile although his confidence was rapidly deteriorating

"Hai, Aoko. I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you"

**Sorry for the lapse of time between updates but this took some time. We're nearing our epic clash so keep reading and also keep up with the Gosho Couples series. If you haven't checked it out yet give it a read**

**and remember**

**Reading is mandatory**

**Reviewing is encouraged**


	40. Smooth Landing, Rough Sailing

**Tokyo: 10: 40 a.m**

**Panay: 9: 40 a.m**

'This is not good' Yuusaku, despite all of is foresight and intelligence had made a serious blunder which cost him dearly. In his hurry to get out of the airport he had forgotten to take his yen and have it exchanged for pesos. He now stood face to face with a Filipino bus driver who was pointing to the cash deposit in front of him. 'How was I supposed to know the buses here wouldn't take a credit card?' he thought, attempting to justify his mistake

"Jodie-san how are we going to locate Kudo-san?" Camel asked with a worried tone as he observed Jodie scanning the hoard of people exiting the airport

"We'll have to wait and hope he crosses us. If we don't spot him in the hour we'll have to call James-san for further instructions" Camel nodded in agreement but couldn't help but feel a degree of anxiety at his partner's countenance. She seemed shaken and out of sorts and while he knew there was more riding on this case than others in the past he wasn't convinced that was the reason for her distress.

* * *

As Yuusaku strode hastily through the mob of patrons his mind was running at a hundred miles an hour 'I need to get back into the airport and get some local tender. But how? I can't let those two F.B.I tracers find me otherwise this could all get more disheveled than I'd like. No…no I'll just have to stay with the crowd and remain out of sight' His planning concluded just as he rounded a corner that suddenly brought the entrance of the airport into view

"Agent Camel!" Jodie exclaimed crossly, jarring him from his thoughts

"What is it?" he responded, slightly disoriented

"I have a visual on Kudo-san, we're moving" without any effort to achieve confirmation from her partner Jodie took off running toward the busy street. Camel followed closely, trying not to lose her in the dense crowd of travelers

* * *

Kaito and Aoko had been airborne for nearly ten minutes and in that time Aoko hadn't said single word, at least not since his confession. This situation wasn't exactly shocking to Kaito, truth be told it was one of the reasons he chose to tell her the truth of his alter-ego in the fashion he had. Obviously his primary motive was to allow her the opportunity to enjoy the pleasant visage he got to experience almost on a nightly basis even if it was morning. But being in mid-air offered Kaito another advantage; she couldn't run away

"Aoko…" he whispered hesitantly in her ear, causing her to shift in his arms. She had already turned herself enough previously so she didn't have to look at him. She made no audible response but her lack of a snarl or malicious comment gave him clearance to speak "we're going to have to land now" he heard her snort but she remained still

"And how do we do that, Kaito KID?" she asked in a conniving manner, twisting the knife she didn't even know existed. His grip tightened, pulling her body closer to him. She swiveled her head to catch a glance at his expression but she was surprised to see an emotion he rarely if ever genuinely expressed; anger.

"Don't call me that" he commanded in a low an serious tone that tore Aoko out of her resentful state of mind

"What?" she questioned with concerned eyes, carefully shifting her body to face him completely

"Don't call me that ever again. Everyone else calls me that but you…you can't. I never wanted to hurt you Aoko that's why I kept this from you. I thought if I told you those people might hurt you or you might…leave me" Aoko's breath hitched as the heartfelt honesty poured out of her friend. In all of their years as companions he had never been as sincere as he was being right then

"Kaito…" she muttered, unable to articulate any further

"I love you Aoko and if you ever chose to leave me I don't know what I would do. You stole my heart a long time ago" He shot her a warm smile then turned his attention to the rooftop which was fast approaching "Hold on!" he ordered. She responded by clutching to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her eyes shut and yelped as they made contact with the concrete. After a few seconds of jogging Kaito slowed them down and soon they were stopped completely, Aoko still gripping Kaito's neck for all it was worth "It's okay to let go now" Kaito told her in a comforting and yet slightly joking manner. Aoko gradually opened her eyes and scanned the now stable area around her. After confirming they were in fact on the ground she released Kaito and he set her down on her feet. Now they were only a few inches away from one another and Kaito could easily see the tears forming in Aoko's eyes. Before he could say a word she lunged into his chest and began to sob with no reservations

"How could you Kaito! How could you lite to me! How could you do that to my father!" her cries were like venom to Kaito's ears. Many a night he had lied awake asking himself those very same questions and come up with few answers. As the woman of his dreams continued to soak his white tuxedo in salty, remorseful tears he could only stand and hate himself for every tear she had to shed on his behalf

* * *

"Eh? You want to leave?" the doctor asked with shock painted on his face

"Hai, my arms feels fine. Just give me a sling so I can get out of here would ya'?" the doctor just stood in awe of his patient's complete disregard for his health and safety

"Hattori-san please be reasonable you were shot in the shoulder not twelve hours ago it would completely out of the question for me to release you" Heiji's face lit read as he rose from his wheelchair

"Listen here doc', I'm leaving with or without the stupid sling!" the doctor shuddered under Heiji's wrath and nodded fearfully

"Okay okay I'll get you that sling come with me" Heiji backed off of the now timid doctor and gestures for him to proceed in front of him. The doctor scrambled up and shuffled out of the lobby followed closely by Heiji who had chosen to abandon his wheelchair

* * *

"Why was he in that thing anyway?" Ran asked with a giggle

"I have no idea" Shinichi responded from her right. They had both been sitting in the lobby waiting patiently for Heiji to take care of his situation. Kazuha had left to go to the restroom and Eri and Kogoro were off eating breakfast in the downstairs kitchen. For the first time since Shinichi had truly returned to his real age he and Ran were alone

"Shinichi?" Ran asked lightly in a gentle whisper. He turned his head toward her, undoubtedly breaking out of some complex contemplation

"Hmm?" a small grin played on her lips as her index finger ran over his knuckles. It wasn't until this point that Shinichi realized he had been hogging the arm rest on her chair as well as his own. He rapidly pulled his arm back toward him with a faint blush "Gomen gomen" Ran smile faded and she turned her head away from him. He was confused by the move and sought an explanation "What's wrong? Are you alright?" Ran rolled her eyes and continued to face away from him. Now Shinichi was downright perplexed and understandably curious "Ran w-"

"It's okay Shinichi" she cut him off in a soft and reassuring tone he knew to be a lie

"Ran how long have I known you? You think you can't hide your true feelings from me?" she moved in her seat, facing her whole body toward him

"Well if you know me so well why are you asking me what's wrong? Shouldn't you already know?" If there was one thing Shinichi and Heiji had in common it was that they hated to be mocked, which was precisely what she was doing.

"Ran…"

"Well tantei-san, what's your reasoning? You solve every other case, so what's the matter? Am I too 'tough and troublesome' for you?" she knew exactly what she was doing and she knew how it made him feel and yet she forged on. She could sense she had the upper hand in their conversation which only encouraged her further. Truth be told, despite his desire to wait another day before telling her his 'something important' she had grown understandably impatient

"What are you saying Ran you're not just some case!" Ran smirked confidently

"Oh but isn't that what you called me back in England, a 'tough, troublesome case'?"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it! What are you trying to do!" he asked in a flurry of emotion as he rose from his seat. She remained seating and gave him a calm and steady stare

"Nevermind Shinichi, nevermind" she moved to stand up but Shinichi's hands planted themselves firmly on her shoulders, forcing back into her seat

"Ran" he started straightforwardly with no evidence of amusement or humor on his face

"S-Shinichi…" for the first time in their exchange Ran felt helpless and fragile under his gaze

"What's wrong with you? You're acting very strange and I want to know why" Ran ducked her head away in order to avoid his eyes. He remained steadfast in his stare even though his eyes were longer on hers

"You don't understand, just let me go!" she raised her voice though it became choppy due to the tears that were forming in her eyes

"Ran…" in that moment he realized exactly what he had overlooked and he felt like a royal bastard. 'How could I be so blind?' Ran once again attempted to move herself out of her chair only this time Shinichi allowed her to do so. She shot up and blushed as she realized they were hardly and inch away from one another.

"Shinichi…"

"Ran I'm sorry. I've been inconsiderate of your feelings. I should have done this the second I came back" he pushed a shaky hand forward and used it to grasp Ran's. Despite her absolute astonishment at the contact she still kept her eyes focused on his "Ran I-"

"Okay I'm ready so let's go!" Heiji exclaimed with his still functioning arm raised high in the air. Both Ran and Shinichi's faces burst into a brilliant crimson as they sprung away from one another. Heiji raised an eyebrow and shot Shinichi a knowing grin

"Kawaii Ran-chan!" Kazuha shrieked from behind Heiji. Before anyone in the room could question her she had already leapt at Ran and was squeezing her almost violently. As the two teenage girls became sidetracked with their exchange Heiji strode over to Shinichi

"So Kudo…" Heiji insinuated with a dastardly smirk

"Shut up Hattori" Shinichi said with remnants of red still staining his cheeks

"Oi are we leaving or what?" Kogoro asked with a cup of coffee in one hand and his wife's hand in the other

"Hai!" Ran responded cheerfully, apparently uplifted by the sight of her parents being so intimate. With no need for a verbal consensus the group all made their way out of the hospital lobby toward the exit

"Moshi"

* * *

"Sir I received word one of my operatives spotted the Kaito KID flying in Tokyo just a few minutes ago"

"That's unlike him. Go tail him personally and see to it that he doesn't do anything out of sorts" Shouchuu ordered authoritatively

"Hai" and with that snake hung up the phone. As he placed the cellular device back into his pocket a maniacal grin overtook his countenance and he let out a sinister laugh

* * *

'I can't take this' Sato thought conclusively, jumping up from her couch 'I have to go see what's happening.' With her decision made she walked into her room in search of her usual work clothes. As she changed she continued to verify her decision mentally 'I mean, he hasn't called since he left and that was nearly eight hours ago. I'm his superior _and_ his fiance', he definitely should have called! And besides sitting around here all day is a waste of time' Once she was fully clothed she hastily exited the apartment and strode down the stairs

* * *

"Superintendent" Megure said with reverence as his superior addressed him

"Relax Megure. Now, tell me everything that Kudo-san told you" as Megure and Matsumoto walked along conversing Takagi trailed behind with his hands shoved in his pockets. With nothing better to focus on he recalled the previous night when he and Sato and been lying together in the comfort of one another's warmth. Thinking back on it he remembered that the shirt she was wearing had been hiked up to her ribcage, exposing her toned abdominals which were faced toward him. A small trace of blood ran out of his right nostril as the mental images swirled in his head

"Takagi-kun!" Megure called with a heightened volume and an official tone, brusquely breaking Takagi out of his fantasy

"Uh h-hai!"

"You're falling behind come on we have work to do" it was at that moment that Takagi realized he was about twenty feet away from the Inspector and the Superintendent

"Right, yes sir!" he quickly wiped his nose and ran forward to catch his superiors, temporarily having to expel all thoughts of his sultry new fiancé

**Bam! Forty Chapter in the books, literally(aha pun) I tried to integrate a little of the V-Day spirit into this chapter hope you liked it**

**Alot of questions being raised, will Jodie and Camel catch up to Yuusaku? What could Sato's involvement mean for the police with a possibly dangerous mission upcoming? What's Shinichi got up his sleeve to affect the Panay Island battle?**

**And most importantly WHERE ARE KOBAYASHI AND SHIRATORI?**

**Don't fret, all these answers are on their way so keep vigilant and remember**

**Reading in Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	41. Caught Ditching

**Tokyo: 11: 00 a.m**

**Panay: 10: 00 a.m**

Kobayashi was not a woman who usually indulged herself by sleeping in, even on the weekends. She was a high maintenance woman for the most part which meant she always had something to do. However this morning was different because this morning, for the first time in her adult life she was not alone in her bed

"S-Shiratori-kun?" she whispered to her left hesitantly. He made no visible movement but she felt his hand move slightly against her stomach. It was this feeling that caused a healthy flush to consume her cheeks. She lifted the blanket she had been lying under and saw his left hand sprawled out over abdomen. She hastily scooted away from him and left the bed, causing him to groan and lift his hand to rub his eyes

"Sumiko?" he mumbled with a groggy voice, seemingly upset by her departure from the bed

"Uh h-hai!" she responded nervously, frozen beside the bed. With half-opened eyes he rolled over toward her and grabbed her by the hand, increasing the fluorescence of the blush she was already sporting

"Where are you going?" he asked in a husky voice, shooting a stare in her direction

"I was just…" with only the necessary amount of force Shiratori pulled her toward him, causing her to stumble and fall on top of him. She tried desperately to process what had happened but before she could he had already moved them both toward the center of the mattress

"Neither of us has work today so why don't we just stay here?" he almost pleaded. She faltered in her reaction and he knew this meant he had won. Giving her no more opportunity to argue he slumped back down into the covers, still holding her

"But I have to-"

"Sumiko…" he cut her off with a parental tone. She sighed and, despite her still unsure feelings about the intimacy of their current position she pulled herself under the covers next to him. Shiratori grinned contently and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing her to lean closer to him.

"Shiratori-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"About what happened yesterday I wanted to tell you…" she trailed off when she noticed the look in her fiancé's eyes. He had gone from content and relaxed to concerned and petrified

"Gomen, I've been too forward. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable" he started to rise from the bed when Kobayashi caught a handful of his t-shirt in her hand and gripped it firmly

"No no no that's not it, I just wanted to…thank you" Shiratori's head spun around and he looked at her mystified. He opened his mouth to speak but she continued before he had the chance "When you first told me you were the one who saved me when we were children and that you l-l-loved me, I didn't know what to think. But now I know…I know that I feel the same way about you" Shiratori gaped at the verbal confession that she had never made throughout their relationship, even when he proposed.

"Sumiko…" he hesitated for a few seconds while he pieced his thoughts together then allowed his body to fall back into the bed. Without a word he positioned himself comfortably and held his arm out, silently beckoning her to join him. She gently moved into his embrace, nuzzling her head into his chest. He smiled wide and planted a chaste kiss on the top of her head

"I love you, Kobayashi Sumiko" she pressed her head even harder into his chest and smiled against him

"Shiratori Sumiko" she whispered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear it and enjoy the way it sounded

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright here by yourselves?" Eri asked with an degree of maternal concern as her daughter left the vehicle accompanied by Shinichi Heiji and Kazuha

"Yes Okasan we'll be fine" Ran reassured her with a roll of her eyes. Eri giggled at her daughter's teenage self-confidence and independence. Despite her husband's very vocal disagreement Eri drove away, leaving the four teenagers to their own devices. As they entered the Kudo mansion Kazuha and Ran made their way to the kitchen while Heiji and Shinichi lingered behind and struck up a conversation

"Oi Kudo what's our plan?" she whispered as if their intentions were some big secret to keep

"I'm not completely sure yet Hattori. What I know is this: we have to get to Panay Island as soon as possible and we have to do so without getting them involved" he looked toward the entryway to the kitchen where the two girls were laughing and gathering various items from the cabinets around them

"I agree we can't have them getting into this. Besides that Aho would probably get me killed" an irate twitch surged through his eyebrow

"So you mean to tell me this has nothing to do with you wanting to protect your lovely Toyama-chan?" he asked with an insinuating grin

"Shut up. Now look how do intend for us to get away from them long enough to get the airport?" Shinichi grasped his chin contemplatively and began to think deeply. His thoughts were interrupted relatively quickly by a pair of feminine voices echoing out from the kitchen

"What do you want to eat Shinichi?" Ran yelled from the kitchen, sounding exactly like the loving wife Shinichi had always imagined her being

"We have a few things here" Kazuha added amiably. Heiji and Shinichi looked at each other for a moment then a mutual knowing grinned played on their lips

"Well you know Ran I haven't had Italian in so long I kind of want some Cheese Ravioli" a moment of silence fell on the room before Ran's voice returned

"But we don't have any of the ingredients for that and it's hardly even lunch time"

"Don't worry 'neechan Kudo and I will go and get the stuff you need from the store right Kudo?"

"R-Right. We'll walk there and come back with everything. Don't worry about it I have my parent's gold card we'll be back in a while" Before either Ran or Kazuha could object they heard the front door open and close again

"Okay now what?" Heiji asked, receiving a confident smirk from Shinichi

"Last night I overheard Mouri-san talking on the phone about a tow company coming to move Hakase's car back to his house"

"Yeah so?" Shinichi waited a few moments as Heiji pieced together his meaning

"Oh! That's a great idea Kudo we can go get the Bug from that old man's house and use it to get to the airport"

"Right"

* * *

"Megure I have give you a strange order" Matsumoto said with a distressed countenance

"What is it?"

"I am sending you personally with a team to Panay Island to settle whatever it is that's going on there" Megure's face contorted in confusion

"But sir I'm just a local police chief, you want me to go to a foreign country and command an attack force?"

"Hai. Listen to me Megure, if you wish to make the step to the next level of law enforcement you must learn to handle affairs such as this. I'm entrusting this responsibility to you, so go and assemble your team and be ready to leave for Panay Island in one hour" Megure nodded and Matsumoto left the room

"Takagi-kun, I'm going to want you there" Takagi's eyes flew open at the statement

"Keibu…"

"I'm aware of your situation so if you don't wish to go I won't m-"

"Of course he'll go, but not without me!" Sato yelled from behind them

"S-Sato-kun!"

"Miwako!"

"I gave you the weekend off, what are you doing here?" Sato took a few steps forward toward her fiancé

"I was bored and I thought I could be of use here" Takagi leaned his head over, bringing his mouth close to her ear

"What's going on?" he whispered

"I told you, I was bored and tired of being cooped up in that apartment. Besides it's my first day as a bride to be and you want me to be home alone?" Takagi stammered for a moment before surrendering to her will

"I never got a chance to congratulate the two of you, I hope your union is a happy one!" Megure shouted with a smile. Takagi and Sato blushed at the attention and Sato took laced their fingers together

"Arigato keibu" Sato replied on behalf of herself and her still entranced boyfriend. "So what's this dangerous assignment all about?"

"We're going to Panay Island in the Philippines to make a series of arrests. The criminals are all members of a major crime syndicate which has been active since I first started on the force"

"Well when are we leaving?" Sato asked forwardly

"Uh well you see I was just…"

"Keibu I'm his superior" she glanced over at Takagi with a supportive grin "if he goes I have to go as well" Megure thought about the notion momentarily before addressing them

"I suppose you're right. Come on then we have to go and gather the rest of the assault squadron" As they walked on down the hall toward the main floor of the precinct Sato and Takagi started to fall behind Megure in favor of their own personal conversation

"So you were just bored?" Takagi solicited innocently

"Well that and I uh…wanted to see you" they both blushed heartily at the implication but continued on walking.

* * *

"Hurry up we can't lose him!" Jodie screamed back at Camel who due to his cumbersome size was having difficulty working his way through the dense crowd

"Jodie-san just go without me I'll catch up" Jodie gave him a quick nod and sped off. About a hundred feet in front of her was Yuusaku ascending an escalator. She pushed herself to full speed, shoving patrons aside when they impeded her progress. Soon she was atop the escalator but was shocked to find Yussaku standing there waiting

"You've been following me" he stated plainly, leaving her no room for argument

"Hai. Kudo-san my partner and I have been instructed-"

"To monitor me and keep James-san informed right?" Jodie face was grave as Yuusaku grinned confidently and awaited her reply

"I uh…"

"Jodie-san!" Camel yelled from behind her, panting and struggling to catch his breath. He froze in his tracks to moment he laid eyes on Yuusaku

"He's as good as James-san said he would be" Jodie said, still facing Yuusaku with a grin playing on her features

"Come on, I think it's time we had a talk"

* * *

Since Kaito's confession and Aoko's subsequent reaction they had not left the rooftop they were on. Aoko had continued to cry for a few minutes but soon recaptured her composure. There had been a space of time in which neither of them spoke. Kaito simply stood on the ledge of the building looking down on the street below while Aoko clutched her legs to her body and thought intensely. After a ten minute eternity Aoko finally stood up and walked toward Kaito whose countenance had taken on a darkened and serious complexion

"Kaito…" she mumbled, softly placing her hand on the small of his back. He was not surprised since he had heard her stirring and walking toward him

"Aoko…" he turned toward her with vulnerable eyes that appeared completely foreign to Aoko. Despite their longstanding friendship he had always been vigilant about keeping his guard up, especially around Aoko.

"I…I don't know why you do this, but I still trust you. I…"

"Aoko you have to listen to me" Kaito seemed determined, almost frantic, grabbing her at each of shoulders causing her eyes to widen in surprise "I don't do this just for fun or for money or anything like that."

"Then why Kaito? Why do you steal and make a fool out of my father?"

"Do you remember how the police said my dad died?" Aoko took and step back and cringed at the remember

"They said Uncle Toichi died because one of his tricks went wrong…" Kaito shut his eyes and took a deep breath

"They were wrong, Aoko. My father was murdered and they did it because he wouldn't steal a certain gem. You see, my father was the original Kaito KID" Aoko turned away from Katio and strained to hold back a new batch of tears. Kaito stood still a moment, feeling a degree of uncertainty as to what his next action would be. Despite his usually suave manner this situation had him completely out of his element. Finally he took a hesitant step forward but stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Aoko's gentle voice

"So you're doing all of this for revenge?" her inflection implied a lack of justice in his motivation

"Hai" he responded curtly, unable to think of much else

"I see. So once you catch the person that killed Uncle Toichi you'll stop. You'll stop all of this, stop being Kaito KID"

"Of course, but it's not that simple. It's not just one person; it's an entire group of criminals. They want a gem called Pandora because it's supposed to give eternal life. I want to find that gem and destroy it to avenge my father's death" Aoko, despite having multiple reasons to shoot him down couldn't help but find his ambition courageous. She had known him long enough to know she wouldn't be able to talk him out of anything so the best she could think to do was support him

"What if I told my father?" Kaito pulled her within a few inches of him and looked her in the eyes with a pristine grin

"I'd have to go into hiding, and I'd have to take you with me" Aoko looked confused and tried to push herself off of him to no avail

"What are you saying Kaito!"

"You heard me" Aoko blushed as Kaito brought his face closer to hers. Her face completely burst into flames when something he had said which she had written off suddenly came back to her

"Wait! Back there, when we were flying you said..." she trailed off as the recently resurfaced thought came into perspective, leaving her awestruck and hardly able to breath. Kaito look puzzled for a second or two until he realized she was referring to his earlier statement which had apparently just dawned on her

"So what if I did?" her pupils dilated and her eyes widened at the calm and collected manner with which he spoke. To her it was by far the profound thing he had ever said to her and yet he made it seem like he had already said he loved her a thousand times before

* * *

"Sir I have a visual on him. He's in costume but his monocle and hat are off. It's as if he doesn't care who sees him"

"Really… is he alone?" a venomous smirk painted itself on Snake's face

"No, he's with a girl. And get this, they're both teenagers. Apparently this kid isn't even the original"

"So our assassination wasn't a failure after all. I want to know who this new KID is, capture them both and bring them to me"

"You mean…."

"Bring him to Panay. I want him here by tonight"

"Yes sir" with that Shouchou hung up, leaving Snake to stare at his phone mystified. After a few moments of introspection he shook his head and dialed a number into his phone

"What is it sir?"

"I have orders to capture Kaito KID and I have a visual. I want you and your men at the Moshimi Microprocessing Firm in five minutes"

"Wait why what happened?"

"I have a visual on the Kaito KID and _that person_ wants him captured. Now hurry up"

"Right, on our way"

**Sorry for the long wait been a little tied up but I should have at least one more chapter out by the end of the weekend so hang tough. Next Chapter: Yuusaku and Jodie/Camel in talks, Snake vs. Kaito, Heiji and Shinichi up and out and Metro Police on there way. We're drawing ever closer to the climax of this story so stay tuned and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	42. Teaming Up

**Tokyo: 11:05 a.m**

**Panay: 10: 05 a.m**

"Kudo shouldn't I be driving? I may not have a driver's license but I have a motorcycle license which is more than you have" Shinichi shook his head but kept his eyes on the road

"Look I know the area better and besides I have plenty of experience driving, my dad taught me while we were vacationing in Hawaii" Heiji sighed and turned to look out the window of the VW Bug

"Is there anything your old man didn't teach you in Hawaii?" he asked with a sarcastic inflection. Shinchi smirked at the comment but made no audible response. As they continued to drive Heiji was suddenly hit with another query that he had apparently written off "Oi Kudo" Shinichi glanced over toward Heiji to indicate he was paying attention

"Hmm?"

"How did you know where that old Professor's spare keys would be?" Shinichi chuckled at the question

"When Ran and I were young Hakase always told us" he raised his finger to imitate Agasa " 'Remember kids, the best place to keep the things most valuable to you is in your sock drawer. You'll never forget they're there and no one would ever think to look there' " Heiji laughed at the replication of Agasa's words

"But that's stupid everyone checks the sock drawer" Shinichi smiled wide and turned to Heiji as they stopped at a red light

"No one ever said Hakase was very good at keeping his things hidden" they both shared another laugh as Shinichi pressed the gas pedal and continued forward

* * *

Shiratori and Kobayashi had continued to enjoy a comfortable silence and an even more comfortable position since their conversation. She had pressed her head against his chest and pulled the rest of her body against his. He had wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders and both had fallen asleep. This blissful lapse of time ended however when a call came to Shiratori's cell phone on the nightstand

"Hmm?" Shiratori swiveled his head around in a haze as he rubbed his eyes

"What is it?" Kobayashi mumbled without moving her head from its spot. Shiratori didn't acknowledge her question but instead reached for his phone and answered it

"Hai"

"Shiratori-kun"

"keibu? What is it?" Shiratori rose up in the bed causing Kobayashi to unwillingly move off of him. She propped herself up in front of him and sent him a curious stare

"SHiratori-kun I need you at headquarters as soon as possible"

"keibu I'm off duty today is there-"

"No Shiratori-kun I need you personally. Now I expect you here in ten minutes" Shiratori looked upset but masked this with a voice of compliance

"Hai" he hung up the phone and placed it back on the nightstand. He slumped back down into the bed and Kobayashi placed a hand on his chest and leaned forward toward him

"What is it?" Shiratori looked into her eyes with a twinge of remorse

"Gomen Sumiko, I have to go. They need me urgently on a case" Kobayashi appeared upset for a second but covered this up with a genuine smile

"It's okay I understand. It's your job after all and I have some paperwork to do for tomorrow anyway" she moved to exit the bed when Shiratori caught her hand in his

"Don't worry, we'll have many morning like this from now on ne?" Kobayashi blushed at the words and the confident gaze he employed while he said them

"Uh h-hai" he smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheek as he moved past her to get off the bed. It wasn't the most ardent gesture she had ever seen but for some reason it affected her beyond explanation. She sat there frozen even after Shiratori had left the room and returned again fully clothed with his hair combed

"Are you just going to sit there all day?" he asked teasingly. She shook her head out of its daze and stood up

"No!" she exclaimed in embarrassment. He grinned at her reaction and turned away to leave

"Good then I'll see you tonight?" she paused and considered the implication of his query. A shade of crimson painted her cheeks as she nodded back to him. He smiled wider than before and strode out of the room. As the front door clicked shut Kobayashi exhaled deeply but maintained the goofy smile that had consumed her countenance

* * *

"Are you ready?" Snake turned to the four man assault team that was crouched behind him. They were all positioned in front of the door that led out onto the roof of the building.

"Hai" they all responded in unison. Snake grinned maniacally and pointed his index and middle finger forward as an indicator to proceed. In a flash they moved past him and burst out of the door. They all drew their guns and pointed them at the teenagers

"Hello Snake" Kaito said in an even tone. Snake walked out from behind his men slowly and stared Kaito square in the eyes

"So this is the face of the brat I've been hunting for so long" Kaito grinned in an overly confident manner, still holding Aoko tightly against him. Aoko trembled but remained silent and tried her best to maintain her composure

"That's right, are you surprised?" he asked condescendingly as he reached for the card gun on his waist. His face darkened as he realized it was not with him 'Damnit all, I didn't think to pack it because I was only planning to fly'

"Oh KID, I see you're not armed. Unfortunately for you" he reached into his trench coat pocket and removed his Magnum "I am"

"Stop!" Kaito screamed abruptly in an unorthodoxly frantic manner

"What is it KID? Plan to beg for your life?" Kaito threw his hands into the air, releasing Aoko and causing the surrounding thugs to draw closer to them

"Please, take me and leave her she has nothing to do with this" Snake scoffed at the prospect and took a few steps closer to him

"Men, take the girl"

"NO!"

"Kaito!" Aoko screamed as two of the armed men grabbed her and pulled her away whole the other two stood poised to fire at Kaito

"Damnit Snake what do you want with her!" Snake grinned devilishly as he began to back up toward the door

"Nothing for you to worry about KID" he accented 'KID' to mock him further. Aoko struggled with her captors but to avail and soon she disappeared down the stairwell along with the other four men. Now only Snake and Kaito were left on the roof

"I'll get you for this you bastard" Snake grinned one last time and walked away saying behind his shoulder

"Just remember, if you follow us I'll make her suffer" with that the door closed behind him, leaving Katio alone to contemplate the events of the past few minutes 'I have to follow them, I have to save her. But first I have to arm myself' on that note he ran and leapt off the roof of the building and took to soaring back home.

"Why are you doing this?" Aoko solicited as two henchmen struggled to bind her wrists and duct tape her mouth. Snake brought his face within a few inches of hers

"Because that stupid Kaito KID will follow us to save you. He really is an idiot, to think we would target a nobody like you. You are only the bait" as the men finally succeeded in constricted her arms and silencing her, a tear streamed down the side of her face 'No, Kaito….'

* * *

"So what do you know?" Yuusaku inquired with a serious expression. Jodie's eyes moved around and she started to sweat under the scrutiny of his gaze

"I'm not at liberty to divulge any information regarding the operation. I've been instructed to keep you detained until James-san arrives" Yuusaku rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration

"Then I suppose we have nothing further to discuss" he turned to leave but stopped when he heard two clicks that sounded awfully similar to gun's cocking

"You're not going anywhere Kudo-san" Jodie stated with authority. Yuusaku turned back around with his hands raised lazily

"Well if you insist" Jodie walked forward cautiously to place her handcuffs on his wrists. As her hand came closer to him her suddenly reached out and grasped it. In one fluid motion he pulled her toward him and struck her other wrist, sending the gun flying away from her. Camel moved toward him with his firearm drawn and aimed at Yuusaku's head. In an instant Yuusaku released Jodie and strode toward Camel. In a single moment of hesitation by Camel Yuusaku placed his hand on the barrel of the pistol and ripped it out of Camel's hands. He turned the gun toward them and aimed it at Jodie

"Don't do this Kudo-san" Jodie pleaded with the gun barrel pointed the her skull

"I won't do anything if you tell me what I want to know. I intend to end all of this before James-san and the FBI get involved at all"

* * *

"Relax I'll cover it, I have my parent's gold card" Shinichi reassured Heiji who had looked into his wallet and found an overwhelming lack of funds

"Arigato Kudo" Shinichi handed his credit card to the attendant and she swiped it. After a few seconds of processing she handed it back to him

"You're card has been approved, here are your tickets. Enjoy your flight" Shinichi and Heiji nodded to the woman and moved hurriedly toward their terminal. They had been fortunate enough to find a direct flight to Panay, the only problem was that the airplane they were taking was a small twelve person puddle jumper that the airline only used for short flights to surrounding islands.

"Hurry up Hattori our flight leaves in two minutes" Shinichi exclaimed as he sprinted full speed down the center aisle of the airport. Heiji followed closely behind him and within another twenty seconds they arrived at a small swinging door that led into a small lobby. They scanned the room but froze when they noticed a elderly man with a long gray beard standing before them

"Are you two the ones going to Panay Island?" Heiji and Shinichi looked at one another nervously

"Uh hai"

"Well then let's get going" he declared with a wave of his hand. He started to walk away from and Shinichi and Heiji regrouped and followed

* * *

"Sir" a female voice cut through the silence in Shouchuu's office. He pressed the button on his intercom and spoke

"What is it?"

"Gin, Vodka, Korn and Vermouth are here to see you"

"Send them in" Shouchuu turned his chair to face the door and lit up a cigar. A few seconds later the door opened and Gin entered, followed closely by Vodka and then Korn and Vermouth. The four of them squinted slightly as their eyes adjusted to the lack of illumination in their superior's office

"SO what do you have to tell me Vermouth" Gin grumbled at the lack of respect shown to him but swallowed his anger and remained silent

"Sir we destroyed the target Kudo Yukiko"

"Of course you did, I am already aware of that. What of Bourbon?"

"Sir he is dead and his team is on base. We gathered details of the incident from them"

"Enlighten me"

"Well sir Bourbon succeeded in apprehended Sherry and Kudo Shinichi but lost them to a group of their comrades. He was able to injure both Sherry and the high school detective of Osaka Hattori Heiji but in the end he was captured. When his team went to get him back they found him restrained in a chair with a bullet in his head. Seeing as they nothing to gain from being there they fled"

"Really? Pity, Bourbon was a bright mind. If it hadn't been for that schizophrenia he developed due to his alcoholism he would have been truly amazing" the room fell silent for nearly thirty seconds before Vermouth spoke again

"Sir what are you orders now?"

"If all goes according to plan Snake should be bringing Kaito KID to me in the next few hours. Vermouth, I want you take one of the off-road cycles and monitor the perimeter of the island. The second you spot Snake or KID I want you to notify me" Vermouth nodded although it was invisible due to the darkness in the room

"Hai" and with that she exited, leaving the other three men with Shouchuu

"Sir" Gin spoke up

"Calm yourself Gin, I have a different task for you. I want you and Vodka to go to the Beika City Hospital in Tokyo and retrieve Sherry" an evil smile spread across Gin's face

"Hai" he turned to leave when Shouchuu's calm voice stopped him

"I want her alive and unharmed. She will be key to finding the flaw in our poison's design"

"I understand" and with that he left the room with Vodka trailing not far behind. Now it was only Korn and Shouchuu

"Korn tell me, how have you been after the death of your partner Chianti?" he asked in an almost apathetic manner

"We are in a business of killing, and as such we our exposed to the possibility of dying ourselves. I can't say I'm surprised, she was always reckless and emotional" Shouchuu grinned and took a large puff of his cigar

"It's good to hear you've taken the loss so well. I have no assignment for you at the moment so feel free to rest until I call"

"Hai" and with that the last of Shouchuu's guests exited, leaving him alone once again. He pushed his half-smoked cigar into his ashtray and reached for his phone

* * *

"Oh Shiratori-kun" Megure said, turning the heads of Sato, Takagi, Chiba and a few other field officers who had all been facing away from the door. Shiratori walked forward through the entryway of Megure's office and closed the door behind him

"What's going on keibu?"

"Now that you're all here I'm going to explain our operation. I have been ordered to lead a group of capable officers into a criminal fortress on Panay Island in the Philippines."

"The Philippines? Sir isn't that outside of our jurisdiction?" on of the officers asked with a look of confusion

"Normally it would be but this is a special assignment. These people are part of a worldwide criminal network and this is their main base. If we succeed in bringing it down we'll have taken a huge step in bringing them down completely."

"How many people are we up against exactly?" Shiratori asked, still standing behind the rest of the officers

"I've been told it could be anywhere between fifty and a hundred men highly trained men and women. These are the most notorious and dangerous members of this organization."

"How exactly are we going to handle this? I mean we can't just run in the front door with guns blazing" another one of the officers noted with a taste of humor

"The plan is for us to meet with the head of the F.B.I's division that has been handling this case before now, James Black. We are going to meet him on Panay Island and corroborate with him. Whatever he chooses to do we will assist him in any way we can, understood?" the group all nodded

"When are we leaving?"

"Now, there is a police helicopter ready to transport us. We will be taken a secured helipad on the Philippine mainland and from there we will be taken to Panay Island" the group nodded again and rose up to leave the room. As everyone exited Shiratori stood still and once they were all gone he addressed his superior

"Sir are you sure these are the officers you want? I mean they are all very well-trained at investigations but they only know the basics of invasion and tactics." Megure lowered his hat and started to walk past Shiratori

"I need officers I know and can depend on. Now come on we have to leave now we have to meet oru F.B.I affiliates at 2:30 p.m sharp" Shiratori chose not to argue any further and complied to Megure's request, striding past him out the door. Now alone Megure pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number

* * *

Eri and Kogoro sat comfortably on the living room watching the news. Despite the events of the day they both wanted nothing more than to spend their Sunday relaxing. Their serene atmosphere was spoiled however when a frantic knock came at the door. Kogoro grumbled and rose from the couch. He got to the door and opened it to find two tear-stained teenage faces staring at him

"Otosan Shinichi and Hattori-kun left!" Kogoro looked at his daughter with a raised eyebrow and a concerned gleam in his eye

"What's this now?" he strode past him and panted herself firmly behind him. He turned around and faced Ran who was now gripping Kazuha at the midsection but still facing him

"Shinichi and Heiji said they wanted us to make Cheese Ravioli so they went to the store to get the ingredients. But a few minutes after they left we heard Hakase's car pull out of his driveway. When he looked out the window Shinichi and Heiji were in it and they sped off. We tried to call them but neither of them would answer" while she told her story Eri had risen from the couch and walked up behind her. Now Eri was holding Ran's shouder's comfortingly

"Where do you think they went sweetheart?" Eri asked her husband whose eyebrow twitched in irritation

"To the airport. My guess is they took it personally when Megure told them to stay out the situation and so those two punks decided to take matters into their own hands. I should call Megure and let him know what's happened" he reached for his phone but jumped in surprise as it began to ring in his hand

"Who is it?" Eri asked with concern and curiosity

"It's Megure" he opened the phone and brought it to his ear

"What is it keibu?"

"Mouri-kun, I need you're help. Can you come to he station?"

"When?"

"Right now" Kogoro's face took on a determined expression

"I'll be there in a few minutes" he hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket

"What happened?" Ran asked, wiping the tears from her eyes

"I have to go and assist Megure-keibu. You three stay here and call me if anything happens or if you hear from either of them" the women all nodded and Kogoro swiftly took his coat from the rack by the door and slipped out of the apartment.

"Okasan…" Ran trailed off as fear overtook her thoughts once again

"It's alright, come on I'll make us something to eat" Ran spun around to face her mother

"I'll help!" she replied eccentrically

"I will too!" Kazuha chimed in. Eri smiled and the three of them made their way to the kitchen

**Cut me some slack on spelling and grammar I wrote this on the way home from LA and it gets a little bumpy on the Grapevine. Anyway, things are seriously starting to take shape and perspectives and stories are starting to intertwine. We're just a few chapters away from the clash at Panay Island so remain vigilant and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	43. All Parties in Flight

**Tokyo: 11:30 a.m**

**Panay: 10:30 p.m**

"They what?" Eri exclaimed in rage and terror as the news of her husband's first assignment as a reinstated officer of the law graced her ears

"Megure said there's some gang in the Philippines and he's been assigned to lead a task force to arrest them"

"But what does that have to do with you!"

"Oi!" Eri chuckled slightly then reaffirmed her seriousness

"I'm serious, why do they need you to go all the way there? It doesn't make sense…" Kogoro sighed deeply into the phone

"It doesn't matter, it's an order. I should be back tomorrow" he said with authority. Eri, despite her suspicion and wariness of the situation calmed herself and reassured her husband

"If it ends up taking any longer I want you to call" her voice was cold and demanding and yet it served to soothe Kogoro's nerves

"You really are and overbearing woman" he mumbled under his breath, waiting with a grin for her reaction

"And you're a stupid man!" he chuckled which irritated Eri for a moment before she saw the humor in their exchange and laughed as well

"I have to go now" he said after a few more seconds of pleasantry

"Right" and with that they both hung up. Kazuha and Ran stood by her side as a countenance of fear washed over her more aged features

"Okasan is everything okay?" Eri shook her head and rose the an erect posture, exuding confidence Ran couldn't help but strive to emulate

"Everything's fine girls, let's get back to what we were doing" Ran and Kazuha shot each other a worried glance as Eri strode past them toward the kitchen where a few pots were bubbling on the stove

* * *

"Kaito-sama you can't do this!" Jii yelled desperately as the white clad magician made his way to the window

"Jii-san I have to do this don't you get it, they have Aoko!" his voice rose as the last three words slipped out of his mouth. The emotion he exerted was unwanted yet he had no control over it

"But what if you get hurt, or worse? You're so young why are you forcing all of this on yourself?" Kaito turned away from his overseer and faced the window, running his hand along the pane

"Because it's my responsibility" 'she…is my responsibility'

"Kaito-sama…." Jii was left utterly speechless as Kaito threw himself out the window and, in one swift motion, revealed his glider and allowed the wind to carry him off.

With his house now a speck in the distance Katio pulled a small, circular object out of his front pocket that looked something like a pocket watch.

"Now where are you Snake?" he asked himself aloud as a citywide map grip illuminated on the screen of the small device. After a few beeps a red dot became visible "Got it" he confirmed as dipped his left shoulder, causing his airborne body to turn left and dive rapidly. 'Thank Kami I always have a tracker on me'

**~Flashback~ (Thirty Minutes Earlier)**

As Kaito threw his hands up in compliance with Snake's demand a small plastic square is flung into the air. It floats in the air for a few seconds before hurdling downward and landing on Snake's shoulder.

**~End Flashback~**

* * *

"So have you decided how you're going to tell her?" James asked, breaking the silence which had enveloped the aircraft since they departed from New York

"I've thought about it…" the agent responded in a low and even tone. James ducked his head and took a deep breath

"It's a difficult task you have, to tell her that you've come back from the dead" the agent grinned and turned to face his superior

"No James-san, I never died." James chuckled at the correction

"You're right, my mistake. I suppose we all should have known that you wouldn't die so easily, especially me." The agent turned away and looked out his window

"I can only hope she takes it as well as you did"

**~Flashback~**

"Hai, have a pleasant evening, I'll be home as soon as I can" James said in a genial tone. He put the phone back on its receiver and sighed

"Leaving the wife alone to work again, James-san?" a voice asked in a light manner. James rose to his feet and revealed his sidearm, holding in the standard position in front of him

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" he asked in a startled but still relatively contained tone

"It's not difficult when you're the only one here besides the janitor" James brought his finger to the trigger of his pistol as the voice continued to speak from the dark corner of his office by the door

"I suppose you're right, but that doesn't tell me who you are or why you're here"

"You never asked 'why' I was here and as for my identity, have you forgotten my voice already?" James contemplated the mysterious man's words until a realization dawned on him. He slowly brought his index finger away from the trigger of his gun and brought the weapon to his side, allowing to dangle effortlessly from the fingers on his right hand

"No…" he muttered to himself in complete disbelief. His doubts were soon quelled as the figure reveled itself "it can't be…" the figure stood tall and confident with a half-used cigarette between his lips and a black beanie on his head. He wore black jeans and a black leather jacket with a burgundy sweater underneath "Akai-kun…" Akai grinned back at him knowingly

"Gomen, I didn't mean to intrude but I thought you might want to see me" he stated with feigned arrogance

"Akai-kun…" James was still completely dumbfounded by the image that stood before him. After a minute or so of pin-drop silence James finally regained a hold on his conscious thoughts "How? How are you here? She shot you, Hondou Hidemi, she shot you in the head"

"It was an act. We planned it to look like a real murder but chose to keep between the two of us. If word had spread that I hadn't died it would have put many people in danger and it would have disrupted my investigations" James' countenance went from confused to understanding and then a tinge of red appeard on his cheeks as rage set in

"I am your superior Akai Shuuichi! You are not permitted to conduct undercover operations without my permission!" he roared furiously as he grasped Akai's shoulder and gripped them viciously

"I know, and for that I apologize." James stared at him intensely for another second or two before slowly releasing him and falling back into his chair

"Have you told anyone else yet?"

"No"

"Why did you choose now to reveal yourself? I assume it's because you found something in your investigations"

"Hai, but not something, somewhere"

**~End Flashback~**

"You mean you want her to pull a gun on you?" Akai snickered but continued to stare off into the expanse of the sky

"No, I mean I hope she doesn't shoot"

* * *

"Megure-keibu, we're ready for take off" the helicopter pilot yelled over the sound of the propellers spinning

"Hai" he yelled back. Megure turned to the team he had assembled "Remember, this flight is approximately four hours long. When we arrive we'll be meeting with two F.B.I agents I spoke of earlier" the group all nodded and Megure turned around and gestured for them to follow. They complied and one by one they piled onto the helicopter. Once the door slid shut the raucous noise from the propellers minimized, giving the team an opportunity to converse at an even volume

"So I heard you are engaged Sato-san" Shiratori started lazily with his head resting on his palm and his elbow on his thigh

"Uh hai" Takagi responded with limited hesitation. Sato scooted a little closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder

"Are you hoping for a summer wedding Sato-san?" Shiratori inquired with a grin aimed at Takagi

"No that's a little soon, I was going to propose a winter ceremony. Outside in the snow, it'll be beautiful. Whatdya think Takagi-kun?" Takagi looked down at his fiancé who winked up at him with a cute smile. Takagi cleared his throat

"That s-sounds great" Sato giggled as she snuggled deeper into his shoulder. The officers on board all raised eyebrows in their direction having never seen the usually 'tough as nails' Assistant Inspector so girly

"Ne Mouri-san, are you excited to be back on the force?" Sato asked genially without even looking over at him. After a moment without a response she lifted her head and glanced over to see Kogoro sweating profusely and nearly in tears

"Mouri-kun are you alright?" Megure solicited with an air of concern

"Shut up! You know I hate flying! This thing is a death trap!" he screamed, gripping the safety handles above his head for dear life

"Could it be you're afraid of heights?" one of the task force members asked innocently

"You didn't know? It's a well known fact around the precinct that the great Mouri Kogoro has an astounding fear of heights" Shiratori stated arrogantly, trying to indirectly affirm his own superiority

"Shut up!" Kogoro roared forcefully with a higher volume than before. The passengers around him all fell silent and shifted away from him in their seats

"M-Mouri-kun you really should try to relax, this is a four hour flight" Kogoro squeezed his eyes shut and continued to quake in fear

"On a beach, on a beach, on a beach, on a beach" he started to mumbled under his breath. The people ho had been afraid of his anger were now petrified by what appeared to be his loss of sanity

"What is he…" another on of the hired task force members trailed off

"It's a calming exercise. Truth be told I used to have an insatiable fear of heights as well but I saw a psychiatrist and she recommended that I try a similar exercise" the pilot said from the hull with his eyes remaining glued on the sky in front of him. The cabin did not respond but instead took solace in the pilot's words and decided to leave the detective to his 'exercises'

* * *

"You're sure that's everything?" Jodie nodded with her hands still in the air. Yuusaku contemplated his situation for a second then reinitiated his eye contact with her "Don't follow me, understand?" again both Jodie and Camel nodded in compliance and Yuusaku sprinted away from them. They both waited a moment until the sound of his footsteps was outside of earshot then they rose to their feet

"What now Jodie-san?" Camel asked, obviously puzzled by the situation himself

"I'll have to call James-san and inform him" Camel said nothing and Jodie pulled her cellphone out of her pant's pocket. She pressed one of her speed dials and after a few rings the line picked up

"Hai"

"James-san, it's Jodie. We made contact with Kudo-san and he disarmed us and forced us at gunpoint to tell him all we knew about the Organization's base"

"What? Fools!" James yelled angrily and hung up the phone. Akai glanced over at him with a knowing grin

* * *

"A problem?" Akai asked smugly. James ignored the inflection in his voice and pinched the bridge of his nose causing his glasses to rise over his eyes

"Jodie and Camel told Kudo-san everything. At this rate that man will go head first into that base" Akai turned back toward the window

"Why is he involved in this anyway?" James sighed and a somber countenance came over him

"My guess is you're aware of the bombing at the Sherriton hotel in New York last night?" Akai nodded, still facing the window

"Hai, they didn't find and remains so they assumed there were no casualties"

"But we know them better than that, they covered it up. There were two notable fatalities; one was the Organization agent codenamed Chianti and the other was Kudo-san's wife, Kudo Yukiko" Akai's eyes widened and he faced James again with significantly greater interest

"The actress?" James nodded

"And it seems Kudo-san was at the hotel when the bomb went off. I don't know all of the details but Kudo-san knows it was them and he wants revenge. I instructed Jodie-san and Camel-san to keep him busy until we got there so he didn't do anything irrational" Akai shook his head stared deeply into his superior's eyes

"I speak from experience when I tell you: a man whose lover has been stolen from him is more dangerous than the most ruthless murderer."

**New Chapter for all of the diligent readers out there. Sorry for the hold up, been a busy week. Next Chapter we'll be doing a bit of a time jump since I know no one wants to hear about the next four hours of flying for all of our heroes and heroines. We're drawing closer with every chapter to the climax of the story so stay tuned and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	44. Arrival and Assembly

**3:30 p.m Tokyo**

**2:30 p.m Panay**

"Kobayashi-sensei!" three adolescent voices screamed as they entered the 2-B elementary classroom

"Children what are you doing here, it's Sunday afternoon" the Detective Boys all marched through the door and approached her

"We heard that Shiratori-keiji had to go away for work" Kobayashi's cheeks flushed and she crouched down to Ayumi's eye level

"Ayumi-chan who told you that?" she asked nervously, disturbed by her students' ability to gather such personal information

"It's the Detective Boys information network of course" Mitsuhiko rang in with a confident smile. Kobayashi sighed and rose back up

"It doesn't matter and that still doesn't tell me why you're here" the three small investigators looked at one another and then turned back to her

"Well since Ai-chan and Conan-kun are both busy we thought we would come keep you company" Ayumi chanted in an amiable tone

"That's right!" Genta and Mitsuhiko added in unison. Kobayashi smiled at their enthusiasm and gave them a friendly nod

"Okay let me finish the last of my work then I'll take you all out to eat" the three youngsters all jumped around elatedly screaming thanks. As Kobayashi returned her attention to her paperwork she couldn't help but chuckle as Genta continued to describe the various foods he wanted to eat. Truth be told she had been feeling lonely, having to look down her gorgeous engagement ring and then remember that her fiancé was off on some dangerous mission

"Okay, all done. Let's go!" Kobayashi declared, earning an uproarious reaction from her students. The three eccentric kids went flying out the door and Kobayashi followed close behind, screaming for them to slow down. She had always been helplessly unable to deter her concerns for their safety even if there was no imminent danger.

* * *

"Alright listen up, we need to stay close together in case anything happens. I just spoke with Agent Starling on the phone, she said she and her partner would meet us here in minutes" Megure announced in an authoritative manner, capturing the attention of every person present

"Hai" the squadron responded in resounding unison. As Megure hopped down from the bench he had used to gain everyone's attention, Shiratori jogged up to him and waved a hand

"Keibu" he said in an even tone

"What is it Shiratori-kun?" Shiratori wiped a little sweat from his brow

"Would it be alright to make a call home now?" Megure grinned and placed a paternal hand on his underling's shoulder

"Of course Shiratori-kun, that Kobayashi-sensei is probably concerned for your wellbeing, it would be best if you calmed her nerves" Shiratori happily nodded and ran off to find a secluded area to conduct his phone call. Soon after his talk with Shiratori Megure sought out his old friend who had been thoroughly traumatized by the trip over "Have you seen Mouri-kun?" he asked Sato with a tap on her shoulder. She spun around and saluted him officially

"Hai, he's over there by the drinking fountains" Megure nodded to her gratefully and started walking toward the aforementioned location. What he found was a middle-aged man helplessly clinging to the side of a water fountain still shaking in terror

"Mouri-kun?" Megure started, trying to mask his concern for his friend's well-being. Kogoro quickly noticed the Chief's presence and ripped himself away from the metal safety net

"Uh hai"

"Are you alright Morui-kun?" Kogoro darted his eyes around with obvious anxiety

"Uh no- I mean hai, hai I'm fine…just a little sick that's all" he proclaimed with a horribly executed fake cough. Megure looked unconvinced and took a few steps closer to him

"Mouri-kun I need you in top form for this mission. Why don't you call Eri-kun and let her know you're safe then get some coffee and try to relax" Kogoro nodded in compliance and with a subtle 'arigato' under his breath he left to go call his wife

* * *

"Hai?"

"Sumiko?"

"Ninzaburo! How's your case?" Kobayashi asked excitedly, heightening the interest of the three children at the table with her

"We just arrived at Panay, we're waiting for our associates to meet us so we can begin" Kobayashi's voice softened at the danger implied by his ambiguity

"Promise you won't get hurt…" she demanded with gentle authority. Shiratori's eyes softened at the sound of his fiancé's voice and he allowed his full weight to fall against the wall behind him

"I can't. But I'll try my best, after all, I have plans for this summer" Kobayashi blushed a fluorescent red, which now encouraged an onset of questioning from the Detective Boys before her

"Sensei what'd he say!" Ayumi asked at the top of her lungs

"Tell us tell us!" Genta added at a volume even greater than the young girl beside him

"Oh you're with the children?" Shiratori inquired rhetorically

"Uh hai, they came to see me in the classroom after they heard you left" Shiratori chuckled lightly, allowing a wide smile to come across his face

"I'm glad someone is there to keep you company until I get back" Kobayashi remained quiet for a second then spoek up

"So do you know when you're coming back?" Shiratori sighed into the phone and breathed deeply

"No, not yet. I'll call you when I know"

"Hai" and with that Shiratori hung up the phone. After hearing the click of the phone on the other end Kobayashi followed suit and hung up as well. 'Please be safe…' she thought to herself with a worried expression

* * *

"Sir" a young female voice chirped through Shouchou's intercom

"What is it?"

"Snake has just arrived and he has a prisoner, would you like me to send him in?" Shouchou thought to himself for a moment them rose from his desk and held the red button on his receiver

"No, I'll come to see him, tell him to stay there"

"Hai" the receptionist turned to speak to Snake but he quickly raised a hand to her

"I heard him" and with that he sat down in the chair behind him and lowered the unconscious Aoko into the seat next to him. After no more than a minute Shouchou appeared from the door beside the receptionist desk

"Follow me" he said curtly, waving his hand as he walked past the receptionist desk and opened the door across the room. Snake rose from his chair, roughly yanking Aoko up roughly with him and followed his superior. As he walked through the door he picked up his pace slightly, just enough to catch up to Shouchou. Once he was walking by his side his speed evened out and the two continued to walk parallel to one another in silence. Soon they arrived at another door and Shouchou opened it and walked through followed closely by Snake. This door led to a dank and dreary concrete staircase that descended below ground level. After five flights of stairs Shouchou stopped and opened another door. Once the two criminals walked inside that door Snake finally felt compelled to speak up

"Where are we going?" he asked brusquely, still dragging the teenage hostage behind him

"Look around, we're already here" Snake blinked once then swiveled his head around to each side of the narrow corridor. Red lights flickered every ten feet from the ceiling and revealed a series of iron barred cells, each containing a few children no older than ten years of age.

"What is this?" Snake asked as he approached one of the cells and took a close look at a small Indonesian child with grime on his face and frailty in his features

"This is the holding area for our… experiments" Snake raised an eyebrow and jogged over to Shouchou who had walked ahead

"Wait you mean these are all-"

"Correct, these are all adults who have been exposed to the APTX drug. Between the time of it's first distribution and the time we realized it was faulty, it was administered to exactly forty-three people. People from around the world ranging from scientists to politicians to actors and actresses and even a few bystanders who witnessed things they shouldn't have" Snake snickered to himself for a few seconds then curiosity overtook his thoughts

"But wait, if you already have a way to revert age, why did you want the Pandora Gem?" Shouchou sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling

"This drug that our former member Sherry invented, it is a volatile concoction. This drug does not grant eternal life, it deteriorates the cell structure. Your thoughts were not unlike mine at first, I thought we may have stumbled onto something amazing with this failure. However, when tested the drug tore apart the internal processes of the user after more than one usage. The fact that it had the effect it did was nothing more than an anomaly." Snake shook his head and grunted as he lifted the girl in his possession over his right shoulder

"Damnit, this girl gets heavier by the minute!" he snorted as he carried the girl firemen style and returned to his boss' side

"Here, she is becoming a burden, throw her in here" Shouchou ordered genially, revealing a key ring from his pocket. He shuffled through the keys until he found a large rusted one and shoved it into the lock of one of the cells. The current prisoners all crawled toward the entrance of the cell as it opened. Shouchou swiftly revealed a pistol from his inside suit top pocket and pointed it at them. The children complied with his silent command and shuffled back toward the stone wall of their cell. Snake took the opportunity to cross in front of his superior and throw Aoko into the cell. The abrupt fall apparently jarred her to consciousness because she began to rub her eyes as Shouchou closed the cell once again.

"Arigato Shouchou-san, she was starting to make my arms sore" Shouchou chuckled along with Snake and they disappeared down the hallway and eventually into another door

"Where...where am I?" Aoko mumbled, rubbing her eyes and observing her surroundings

"Hell, young lady, you're in hell"

* * *

"Jodie-san, have you arrived at the rendezvous point?" James asked

"Yes, we just arrived we were about to meet with Megure now"

"Good. I won't be able to get there for a few more hours so I want you to inform the group of our plans but do not make any advances until I arrive understood?"

"Hai" Jodie hung up the phone and motioned for Camel to walk next to her. Camel nodded and brought himself adjacent to her as Jodie opened the door, drawing the eyes of every officer in the small lobby

"Oh Agent Starling you're here" Megure said amiably. After a quick handshake Megure turned to the mob of officers who had grown silent at the presence of the agents "Everyone, this is Agent Jodie Starling and this is Agent Andre Camel, they will be leading our operation and we will be assisting them as best we can, understood?"

"Hai" the group declared in unison.

"James-san will be meeting us in a few hours so until then I will outline our entry strategy" as Jodie began to explain the intricacies of their plan Megure scanned the room, taking silent attendance. He quickly noticed two of his highest ranking officers were missing. Upon reflection he remembered he had excused them and resolved to simply summarize the plan for them later

* * *

"Okasan who was it?" Ran asked from over her mother's shoulder as Eri hung up the office phone

"You're father" Ran's face grew serious as Kazuha approached her from the kitchen

"Ran-chan what is it?" Ran ignored her friend momentarily, focusing on her mother

"What did he say?" Eri shook her head and spun around to face her daughter

"He said he doesn't know when they'll be back and that he might never come back because that would mean getting back onto that 'bastard flying death trap'." Eri responded, giggling as she emulated her husband's voice. Ran laughed along with her mother and after a few seconds they both walked back over to the couch where they had been lounging about

"Was it Mouri-san?" Kazuha asked delicately, not wanting to upset the two ladies in case anything had happened

"Hai, he's fine." Ran replied with a reassuring smile. Kazuha was grew grave as she formulated her next question in her head

"Has he…" she trailed off, unable to complete her query. Ran rose from the couch and strode over to her friend. She brought her into a comforting hug, trying to console her growing concerns

"I don't think so, otherwise he would had said something about it" Eri added from the couch

"It's okay, they'll be fine. They always figure things about" Ran whispered gently into Kazuha's ear, trying her hardest to calm her companion's troubled mind. Kazuha sniffled into Ran's shoulder but quickly lifted her head and wiped her eyes, which had become hazy.

"You're right Ran-chan. I just wish we could hear from them…" Ran stroked her hair, hoping the ministrations might ease her apprehension. The sad and downtrodden scene was broken up by a loud thud at the agency door

"Ran! Ran open the door I brought movies and ice cream!" Sonoko screamed, still banging on the door. Kazuha and Ran looked at each other and shared a laugh while Eri walked over and opened the door

"Sonoko-chan" Eri greeted with a smile

"Oh Kisaki-sama" Sonoko returned, almost surprised to see the woman at the door

"Please, call me Mouri-san" Eri requested with a threatening eyebrow. Sonoko trembled under the lawyer's gaze and nodded in compliance. She quickly walked past Eri and approached Kazuha and Ran who had already separated from one another and were now standing side by side

"Why so sad? Come on, I brought everything we need for a girl's night!" the two teenage girl's laughed and together the three of them went to the kitchen to get bowls and spoons

* * *

"Are we supposed to be shaking this much?" Shinichi asked frantically as the puddle jumper craft came down onto the water on the west side of the island. The pilot laughed heartily and turned his head completely around to look at Shinichi

"If I were you I would put a seatbelt on" he recommended calmly

"Keep your eyes in front of you!" Heiji roared in terror from his seat, pointing his index finger at the windshield of the plane. The pilot didn't seem affected by the intense rocking of the small plane or the panicked wailing of the two teenagers behind him as he turned back to the controls

"It's no wonder we're the only two people on this flight!" Shinichi screamed at Heiji, gripping the arm rests at his sides with a ferocious grip

"I don't want to die here Kudo!" as the two detectives trembled in fright the pilot's snickering could still be heard from the cockpit. After another five or ten seconds the quaking of the aircraft started to die down and within minutes the plane had come to a complete stop. Heiji and Shinichi had their eyes clenched shut and were hesitant to move from their seats even after the plane had stopped

"Welcome to Panay Island kids" the pilot declared with a wide grin and an outstretched hand. Heiji and Shinichi slowly cracked their eyes open and were met by their pilot holding the door to the plane open

"So we're…" Shinichi trailed off in disbelief

"We made it!" Heiji yelled, jumping out of his seat and running for the exit. After one step out he realized the door was still three feet off the ground and with a desperate shriek he fell face first into the sand. The pilot laughed hysterically at this as did Shinichi after finally getting up from his seat and walking to the door

"Nice landing Hattori" Shinichi remarked snidely

"Shut up" Heiji replied. After saying farewell to the pilot Shinichi and Heiji walked off the beach and looked ahead to the city "Ready?" Heiji asked with a confident smirk. Shinichi took a second to contemplate his response. A small grin traipsed it's way across his lips and he looked over at his friend

"Let's end this"

**Big development in this chapter. Will Jodie wait for James and Akai? What are Shinichi and Heiji's plans? Has Aoko just landed herself in a regular hell on earth? and where are Kaito and Yuusaku in all of this?**

**Many questions still to be answered but we're finally on Panay Island, the stage is set for the ending to end all endings. so remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	45. Flight, Fight or Just Wait

**Tokyo: 4 p.m**

**Panay: 3 p.m**

As the crowd of officers conversed among themselves, Jodie and Camel found themselves off to the side of the room worrying like uninformed parents

"Camel-san, I don't what to do about Kudo-san" Jodie started, staring at the floor in front of her feet with anxiety painted on her features "I mean, we have no idea what he's capable of or what he'll try to do. If he tries to face them on his own he's done for" Camel shook his head and placed a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder

"Jodie-san we have to keep good spirits. If he outsmarted us so easily he may not be as helpless as you think. And his actions aren't too surprising considering what happened to his wife" Jodie looked at Camel for a moment then returned her eyes to there original focus

"I know but that's what's most terrifying about it. If you were in that situation can you say you would act rationally?" Camel contemplated the query for a second then grinned and swiveled his head to face her

"No I can't. I would probably want revenge and do anything to get it" Jodie sighed at the reaction

"I have to use the restroom" she stated as she walked off. Camel remained in his position, arms folded leaning against the wall and watched her leave

* * *

After half an hour of awkward silence between Aoko and her new cellmates, the tension had officially reached a point that she could no longer bear

"How did this happen to you all, you can't be any older than fourteen" she started, earning a glance from each of the three prisoners.

"Young lady I'm actually thirty-two years old" the only male inmate started with an adjustment of his glasses

"W-What? But that's silly how would you b-"

"And she is twenty-four. That girl over there is the youngest of us, only nineteen" Aoko countenance was wrought with confusion and fear as the three downtrodden youths all turned to face her fully

"That doesn't make sense, how long have you all been here?" the two girls grasped one another's hands and turned away

"It's different for all of us, I've been here around eight months" Aoko raised an eyebrow to the allegation

"That can't be, you all look so…"

"Dead? Dying? Emaciated? Unkempt?" the young man question forcefully, seemingly taking offense to Aoko's implication

"No no that's not what I meant…" Aoko trailed off as she more closely analyzed the people before her. She didn't want to admit it aloud but that's exactly how they looked; dead. Their faces were thin and pale and their skin was grimy and covered in cuts and bruises

"Then what did you mean miss?" Aoko reinitiated eye contact with the boy as she rose to her feet

"Stop treating me like a child, you're younger than I am!" Aoko demanded with her hands on her hips and a stomp of her foot

"No I'm not child! Do you think we made up our ages? You think we're insane? We all had lives before that damned poison!" Aoko interest was peaked by the last line of the youthful looking male in front of her

"What do you mean by that 'poison'?" the young boy rubbed the bridge of his nose, causing his glasses to ride up his face. With a sigh he brought his hand away and looked Aoko in the eyes

"I think this will all make more sense to you if I tell you my tale"

* * *

"Kudo we're lost" Heiji said with a sneer as he observed his friend trying to navigate the streets of the unknown city they were in

"No we're not Hattori, we're just off course. Now look here" he said, bringing the map to sit on front of Heiji's face "we're here. If we continue on along this side street we should find the island's coastal observatory tower. We should be able to see the hideout from there" Heiji nodded and they started off in the direction of the tower

"But Kudo" Heiji started, waiting for Shinichi to look over at him. Once he did Heiji smirked "if you're wrong we're doing it my way" Shinichi huffed loudly and threw his hands in the air

"Hattori for the last time we are _not_ stealing a car!" Heiji shrugged and pushed his hands down into his pockets

"It's not really wrong if we're taking it to stop the bad guys" Shinichi shook his head and put his hands back down into his pockets

"Whatever let's just get to that observation tower"

* * *

Despite the tense moment Sonoko had entered into, her presence had somehow calmed the room down. Since her arrival conversation had been much lighter and more enjoyable

"Are we ready to start this movie yet?" Eri asked with a roll of her eyes. The movie Sonoko had brought over was a teen drama that the three girls had been talking about watching for some time. However seeing as Eri wasn't a 'teen' the film didn't exactly excite her

"I thought you didn't want to watch the movie 'kasan?" Eri shrugged her shoulders and looked off the in the other direction

"I would rather watch it than listen to you three giggle about it all night" Ran nodded to mother and chuckled as she walked back to her friends 'sometimes she sounds just like 'tosan"

"Are you ready?" Ran asked Kazuha and Sonoko who had been in talks about Kazuha's last few days. Despite their loose connection and infrequency of meetings, Sonoko had a way with getting information out of people

"Yes!" Kazuha exclaimed excitedly as she shuffled away from Sonoko and made her way to a chair she had set out next to the arm of the couch

"No get back here Kazuha-chan the story is just getting good!" Sonoko yelled at twice the volume of a normal indoor voice as chased after Kazuha. Ran put a hand on her mouth to suppress her giggling and followed her friends to the television. Sonoko popped the movie in and took a seat to the left of Ran on the couch. The sofa was cramped with three people on it but no one spoke up so all three remained there. As the movie started to play Ran's thought's quickly drifted off 'I wonder if Shinichi is okay. I hope he knows what he's doing, wherever he is. Why does he always leave like this, without telling me anything' it was that thought which brought a seriously disturbing fact to her attention. Due to the situation she had ignored the true gravity of the fact but now that she had time to consider it the idea really stung 'He was…Conan. The whole time he was here and he never said anything. All those times I was crying and he just…' she felt tears building in her eyes and found it in her best interest to excuse herself. She stood from the couch and before anyone could question her departure she disappeared into the bathroom. Kazuha and Sonoko quickly returned their attention to the film seeing nothing amiss in their friend's behavior, while Eri's eyes lingered in the direction of her daughter

* * *

Although James was comfortable enough to sleep on the plane, Akai was not. Generally when he had this sort of time to himself he would consider strategies and plans, but at the moment his mind was elsewhere. Being so close to finally taking on the Organization had put him into a state of nostalgia, a state he hated being in. Whenever this type of thinking befell him the topic was always the same: Miyano Akemi. When her face came into his mind the whirl of emotions was enough to make him dizzy. He had struggled for so long against the guilt and the loss and the shame and the remorse he felt because of her death. He missed her, he kept her message to him. At times during his disappearance and covert operations operations he had mulled around the idea of taking his own life to join her in eternity. But every time the idea would cross his mind he would remember why he was striving to destroy the Organization. When he began his mission it had been for the sake of bringing down a gang that had become a scourge on society. But courtesy of a bullet from Gin's sidearm, he had been given a new motivation, one that kept him grounded, one that kept him alive. Now as his target drew closer and closer his thoughts were once again focused on the vengeance that had become his true motivation for destroying what he viewed as the greatest evil in existence.

"Are you alright?" James asked, keeping his eyes closed and his body leaned against the window of the plane. Akai chuckled softly and looked off contemplatively with an almost sorrowful expression

"I'm fine James-san" his curt answer was not enough to please his superior who now sat up and opened his eyes, planting a stare on the side of his head

"I think I know what's troubling you, Akai-kun. I saw you reading that message out of the corner of my eye…" Akai hesitated for a second under the scrutiny of James' gaze but then in a move not uncommon to him he smiled in defeat

"You're still as sly as ever James-san. It's true, I've been thinking about her often lately." James' heart sank at the mournful tone his words carried. His voice did not match his expression at all however as Akai continued to grin

"We'll be there in a couple hours, you might want to rest" Akai turned to James and nodded reassuringly

"I'll try" James sighed and returned to his previous position, knowing that Akai wasn't going to sleep a wink.

* * *

"Eight months ago I was working as a mechanical technician at Lockheed Martin Co., an advanced technology company. I was working at a sight in Sunnyvale California-"

"But wait if you're from America why do you speak Japanese?" the child chuckled at what he deemed to be a foolish question

"Young lady I work in technology which means I work with people from all over the world. Primarily, however, I worked with overseas technicians in Japan. For this reason I took classes and became fluent in Japanese. The process took a few years but now I speak with great efficiency" Aoko was satisfied by his answer nodded in acceptance

"Okay, sorry for interrupting"

"It alright. So anyway the project I had been working on for a few years was an nuclear deterrent material"

"You mean something to protect someone from a nuclear blast?" the boy shook his head

"Not exactly. This was designed to protect against chemical weapons, and it wasn't for individuals. It was a force shield generated from sound waves that could cover hundreds of kilometers against a chemical warhead. If perfected it could have be used to save countless lives in the event of a war" Aoko nodded to signify she was on par with the story

"So then what does that have to do with you being here? And I never got your name" the child shook his head violently and swatted himself on the forehead

"Stupid! I'm sorry my name is Dr. Arnold Cranston. The younger girl here is from what I can only guess is a country near Russia so I don't know her name or anything about her. This woman is from Argentina" he stated, pointing to the fourteen year old girl holding the nine-year old possessively "she doesn't speak English or Japanese, but I speak a little Spanish so I was able to gather that her name is Sylvia and she was taken over a year ago" Aoko grimaced at the prospect of being a prisoner for over a year

"That's awful" she said, unable to conjure up any further words of sympathy

"Well anyway, to continue with my story; just as our research was concluding we were visited by a man and a woman dressed in black" Aoko clenched her hands tightly in her lap, completely entranced in the riveting tale

"Wait you said 'we', do you have friends here?" Arnold sighed and ran his fingers along his face

"No, they were killed. Those two bastards killed all eight of my colleagues that night. They tried to kill me too, using that damned poison. Thatwoman" Arnold looked off for a second spitefully, gritting his teeth "the man with her called her Chianti. She laughed when she slipped me those pills and said 'we'll let this one be the mystery. I can see it now, eight killed by gunshots, one dies mysteriously with no apparent cause and no lethal injuries'." His fist clenched at his side as the unsettling memories reentered his immediate thoughts

"Wait how many did they give you?" Aoko asked with a puzzled expression. The youth held up two fingers with a dreary countenance

"Two, they gave me two. Apparently the serum works to revert age by ten years with every dose. However whether due to the multiple doses or my own internal makeup the poison seems to be affecting me adversely." Aoko lunged forward to prop the shrunken adult up as he coughed heavily, spewing a few drops of blood on the concrete floor

"You're coughing blood, you need a doctor" the scientist laughed at her suggestion sardonically as his back came to rest on the back of the cell

"And where would you propose we get one of those. Look let me finish my story" Aoko maintained the worried expression on her face but nodded, giving him consent to continue

"When I discovered what had happened I was absolutely in shock. I didn't understand what had happened or how it had happened; all I knew was that something was wrong. It took a bit of arguing and showcasing but eventually I convinced by superiors at the lab of my identity. We ran test after test after test to isolate the cause of my…condition but found nothing. One night I was in bed at my parent's house where I had been staying when there was a break in. Before they knew what was happening they were each shot to death by silenced pistols. I hardly got out my door before I was attacked and chloroformed. When I woke up, I was here. By the way, what day is it today?" Aoko thought about the inquiry for a moment before responded

"It's May eighteenth." The scientist sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily

"So I was right, it's been just a little over eight months…it really has been a while-" as he finished his sentence another hoarse cough came thrashing out of him. The sight of such a seemingly young man coughing so intensely was strange and disturbing for Aoko

"I still have a question" Aoko said sheepishly

"What is it?"

"Why did those people want what you were making?" Arnold laughed heartily with a sadistic tone and a horrid gleam in his eye

"Simple, in their eyes any device of great defense can be made into a weapon of great offense" Aoko shivered at the thought of such a weapon

"So they..."

"I believe they plan to use our prototype and make it into something awful that will only cause destruction" silence fell on the cell as the concept sank into each of their minds. After a lapse of time Aoko finally spoke again

"So what do we do now?" Aoko asked expectantly

"The same thing we've been doing, wait and pray for death" a few tears sprang up in Aoko's eyes as morbid and pessimistic thoughts plagued her mind

"I don't want to die here doctor, there has to be some way out…" Arnold looked on at Aoko with sympathetic eyes. Eyes that, through time and suffering had been drained off all their hope

"Then pray for a savior"

* * *

About five hundred yards away from the main headquarters, a white clad figure stood atop a tree with binoculars pressed to his eyes. An arrogant grin played on his lips as he brought the binoculars down off his face and back into his suit jacket. With a flash of cape the flamboyant magician leapt off of the tree and in a matter of seconds landed on a lower branch. He used a series of maneuvers similar to this to get himself down onto the ground. Once his feet hit the soil he started to run at a rapid pace, relentlessly pushing toward the large structure that housed his most precious gem. He had never been stopped from taking a jewel before, so he had no reason to think this time would be any different and he had no intention of being deprived his objective

**So that's forty five chapters. If all goes well the story should be over in a maximum of ten more chapters. I know the tension is annoying but don't fret, once the action starts to roll all hell is gonna break loose so hold onto your hats. I know it's weird this is my first usage of OC's. I'm usually strict to the canon but in this case it's a nice touch so go with it**

**And remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged(strongly)**


	46. Beneath the Epidermal

**Tokyo: 4:30**

**Panay: 3:30**

After what seemed like an eternity of silence and muffled sniffling Arnold, who had been feeling guilty over his harsh and pessimistic tone spoke up to comfort the young girl before him

"I never got your name" he stated sheepishly, hoping silently that she would respond

"Nakamori Aoko…that's my name. My father is a police inspector in the Tokyo District." Arnold nodded in acknowledgment

"And how did you end up here?" Aoko wiped the lingering tears from the crevices of her eyes and took a deep breath

"That man…Snake, he took me just to get to my best friend Kaito" Arnold shook his head violently in disbelief as his eyes widened

"You mean like Kaito KID? As in _the_ Kaito KID?" Aoko jumped at the youthful adult's eccentric curiosity

"Uh hai. Well actually his name is Kuroba Kaito, I only found out about his…other identity today" Arnold noticed the remorse in the teenager's eye and quickly regained his composure

"Gomen Nakamori-chan, it's just back the United States that guy is quite a celebrity. He makes the evening news even in California" Aoko sighed and looked down at the ground in front of her

"He's the only thing anyone talks about where I live. At school, at home it's always 'Kaito KID, Kaito KID, Kaito KID' I hate him" the last few words in her sentence were laced with malice which seemed foreign to her lips

"Didn't you say he was your best friend though?" Aoko bit her lip in an effort to repress the tear she felt building up in her eyes

"Yes…well, actually no, well I mean he's not _just_ that anymore" Arnold raised an eyebrow at her implication

"So you two are an item eh?" he asked with a cheesy and overdone smile which made Aoko giggle just enough to release a few tears

"I think so, I mean he said he l-l-loved me…" Arnold sighed happily at the tale of blossoming love and made his way across the cell. Aoko didn't look up at him until he placed his hand on her shoulder and knelt down to eye level with her

"Tell me more about your Kuroba Kaito" her eyes synced with his and a grin splayed itself across his face. Aoko quickly wiped the tears away from her reddened eyes again and took a breath to calm herself

"Okay, well we've been friends since we were children. It's actually a funny story…" as Aoko began to regale Arnold with her tale of growing infatuation and years of seemingly unrequited adoration, he couldn't help but smile internally at the beaming face of the young woman. It was apparent to him that no matter how deplorable the situation, just the thought of that boy Kaito could bring her into a positive mindset

* * *

"I just got off the phone with James-san" Camel lied as he came walking around the corner back into the lobby where his partner was sitting anxiously

"What did he say? Any orders?" Camel nodded, bringing a serious expression to Jodie's face

"Hai. He gave me the coordinates where we are to set up and await his arrival. He said he should be arriving in about three which should give us time to get to our position by car" Jodie nodded in agreement and stood up from her chair. She then pulled the chair out into the middle of the lobby and stood on top of it

"Listen, we've just received orders to move out. There's a designated position approximately three hours from here by car, if we leave now we should be there by the time James-san arrives. There are three black S.U.V's waiting in front of the airport, we will arrange in the following order: lead van will consist of myself, Agent Camel, Chief Megure and Inspector Shiratori. Middle Van will house the special task force Megure selected and the back van will consist of all the remaining officers. Any questions?" the sea of faces all gestured 'no' and Jodie stepped down from her podium. Within a few moments the whole crowd exited the lobby, leaving only Jodie, Megure and Sato

"Keibu" Sato said to get her superiors attention. Megure, who had been discussing something with Jodie turned and faced her

"What is it Sato-kun?" Sato blushed faintly as she struggled with her words. Megure was confused by her antics momentarily until her concern became all too clear "Sato-kun" he started, cutting the distance between them and placied a reassuring hand on her right shoulder. She looked up at him with an uncharacteristically helpless stare "it's not your job to take care of him" Sato smiled at his amazing ability to identify her worries without her saying a word and nodded to him with a salute

"Hai" and with that she went off to find her fiancé and the rest of their group. Megure sighed heavily and wiped some sweat off of his brow

"Come on, we need to go" Jodie said gently, trying not to increase his stress level anymore

"Right" and with that the two law enforcers exited the lobby

* * *

"Okay Kudo, we're here. So where is the base?" Shinichi ignored his friend's snide inquiry as he continued to scan the area around the observation tower through the pay-per-minute binoculars that sat on the ledge on the observation deck

"I don't see anything that even looks like a hideout, I don't understand…" Heiji marched over to Shinichi's side triumphantly

"I guess we'll just have to try something else then" Heiji grinned with an unsettling amount of joy as Shinichi tore his eyes away from the binoculars

"Even if I did agree to do _that_, which I'm not, what good would it do? Even if we did get a car it's not like we know where the base is anyway" Heiji sighed and leaned against the guardrail on the ledge while Shinichi continued to stare out into the vast sea of office buildings, houses and other structures

"Well we have to do something. We can't just sit here and wait for something to happen" Shinichi remained silent, which to Heiji confirmed the validity of his statement. "Kudo?" Shinichi had begun to concentrate heavily on an object in the distance. He hurried slipped another coin into the binocular machine and pressed his eyes to the magnifiers

"Hattori!" he wailed urgently, earning Heiji's full and complete attention

"What is it?" he asked brusquely, pushing Shinichi out of the way and situating himself in front of the binoculars. Shinichi pointed northeast and Heiji put his head down and looked through the binoculars

"Do you think that's it?" he asked straightforwardly. As he pulled his head back up and turned to look at Shinichi he noticed he had grasped his chin and taken on a serious countenance

"Well it does meet the surface area standards for a base of it's nature. The only thing that worries me is that it's only two stories high. That doesn't seem like it would be enough space to house the operations that go on there…" Shinichi trailed, leaving an opening for input from his partner. Heiji got the deductive wheels in his brain rolling as well and soon he had an idea

"What if it's underground?" Shinichi stopped his thinking and looked Heiji curiously

"You mean like a cellar?" Heiji shook his head and pointed out into the distance toward what they thought was the base

"No, I mean an actual substructure under the ground. Judging from the building's distance from the coast they'd have enough room not to have to worry about erosion plus with a base underground they wouldn't draw attention from investigator's policing the island" Shinichi went back to thinking silently for a moment but soon his signature smirk swept across his lips

"How do you propose we get in?"

* * *

"What did Agent Camel say?" James asked Akai after he hung up his cellphone and placed it in his pant's pocket

"Not much, I gave him all of the information he needed" James ran his thumb and index finger along his mustache contemplatively

"And as for Jodie-san?"

"He already knows to keep quiet until we arrive. We wouldn't want her to lose her head at a time like this" James nodded to confirm his shared opinion on the subject

"So you think we'll be there in three hours?" James asked Akai with an satirically insinuating glare

"I do. After all he is the best pilot the F.B.I had to offer right?" Akai asked with a smirk, looking forward to the cockpit

"Hai!" the pilot responded with enthusiasm, causing both the agents to chuckle heartily. After about twenty seconds of solid laughter the two finally caught their breath and reaffirmed their businesslike expressions

"So what do you think of our task force?" Akai asked with an almost sarcastic air

"They're some of the best Japan has to offer and from what we've observed they seem to get the job done."

"What about Megure?"

"I think he's an excellent leader although he lacks some degree of assertiveness. Why are you so curious about the quality of our reinforcements?" Akai shifted in his seat, swiveling his body from the waist up to face James

"This is important, we should be sure of every detail. We can't afford to make mistakes" James nodded in agreement and silence fell on the aircraft.

* * *

After waiting a while for Ran to come back out to the living room by her volition, Eri had become anxious and went to look into the matter. When she reached the door she could already hear muffled sobs coming from the bathroom. She knocked gently with the bone of her middle knuckle but got no reply.

"Ran? Honey are you alright?" she asked as softly as she could while maintaining a volume that could be heard from the other side of the door. After waiting a few seconds there was a click and Eri noticed the doorknob had been turned. She took a step back as the door slowly swung open, revealing a disheveled Ran with red, puffy eyes

"Kasan!" she wailed, leaping into her mother's embrace. Eri latched onto her daughter, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words in her ear

"What is it sweetheart?" she inquired with genuine interest and concern. Ran gradually removed her face from Eri's shoulder and raised her head to look at her

"I don't know 'kasan…." Eri brushed the hair away from Ran's face to get a good view of her eyes. Knowing her daughter, Eri was fairly certain she knew what was bothering her

"You shouldn't worry , you've know Shinichi-kun for long enough to know that he can take of himself" Ran shook her head and wiped a few more lingering tears from the corners of her eyes

"It's not that, it's just…I remember when you first said that Conan and Shinichi might be the…same person. I didn't think much of it because I was so sure that it wasn't possible. But now when I think about it I feel so stupid for not knowing. The similarities were so obvious, even his name!" she laughed at herself with a bone-chilling coldness that deeply perturbed Eri. Before Eri could respond she heard Ran mumble something that sounded like 'Arthur Conan Doyle' then let out another eerie laugh

"Ran you can't be so hard on yourself, it's not as if this is an everyday occurrence"

"But we've known each other since we were children…" Eri saw the remorse in Ran's eyes and wanted so badly for her to be absolved of her guilt and pain "I should have known…." Eri recaptured her serious lawyer-esque countenance and pulled her daughter up by the shoulders, stiffening her posture. Once they were at eye level with one another Eri gazed deep into Ran's eyes, commanding her undivided attention

"Ran, you can't blame yourself for anything. If you know him as well as you say you do then you should know he must have a good reason for keeping this from you all of this time" Ran broke their eye contact and ducked her head in shame

"You're right…" Eri beamed at Ran and brushed her cheek with her hand

"Well, since you've already missed the beginning of the movie do you want to go and get an ice cream?" Ran sniffled as she brought her head back up and nodded with a small but heart warming smile

"I'll go get Sonoko and Kazuha-chan" Eri stopped her as she started to walk away and shook her head

"How about just the two of us" Ran raised a questioning eyebrow to the idea but after reconsidering seemed to enjoy the idea and nodded happily

"Hai, I'll just tell them we're leaving" with that Ran walked down the hall with a jump in her step, followed by Eri who made her way to the coat rack by the door to get a sweater

* * *

"Hakase you really should go back and lay in bed, you're still not fully recovered from the immuno-suppressant" Agasa laughed at her concern and stood up from the chair he'd been in since their guests had left a few hours earlier

"I really feel fine, but if you insist..." he lifted his arms up as high as he could over his head, groaning as he stretched the stiff muscles. Haibara grinned at the professor as he waved and exited the room. She breathed deeply and slumped down into the covers on her bed, snuggling into a position for sleep. Despite the time of day she had been feeling fatigued and sleep sounded fantastic. She rolled over onto her side, opposite her bad shoulder and nestled her head into her pillow. Her eyelids slowly descended until all she saw black. Her breathing leveled as she drifted off into unconsciousness, unaware that the man she feared most in the world, the man that had hunted her for over a year mere inches away, sneering maliciously with evil intent drawn all over his face

"Vodka, I have her. Bring the car around"

**Bit of filler here but don't worry, next chapter will be a huge time jump: 3 hours. Which means the action is really going to get started so get ready**

**it's the beginning of the end to this conclusion with still so many questions to answer**

**Where's Yuusaku? What's Kaito up to? Will Shinichi and Heiji and the Beika/FBI task force be able to bring the B.O stronghold down and effectively mark the end of their extensive crime reign?**

**gotta keep reading to find out**

**and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is...you know what, just go ahead and do that too**


	47. Floorplans

**Tokyo: 7:30**

**Panay: 6:30**

"Sir, Gin is here" Shouchou ran his fingertips along the sides of his jawline and stood up from his desk

"I'll go to him" with that the secretary nodded and left the room followed closely by Shouchou. After a short walk from his office they arrived at the lobby where his secretary's desk was located. Gin was standing with his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat and a cigarette in his mouth

"Sir"

"Gin, have you already detained Sherry?" Gin nodded with a grin, apparently very proud of his accomplishment

"Hai, she's down in the lower level with the rest of the failed experiments" a small smirk played on Shouchou's face as his hands went behind his back. He started to walk toward the door and Gin followed him

"Let's go pay her a visit"

* * *

"Where the hell is he?" Vermouth asked herself as she rode her motorcycle along a dirt trail. She had been on patrol in the area surrounding the hideout for over three hours and she had still seen no signs of trouble. This was a disturbing phenomenon because she had been expected Yuusaku, who she had given the location of the hideout to. As she continued along a white flash suddenly caught her eye and nearly threw her off her bike. She slammed hard on the brake, bringing the back tire of the motorcycle off the ground for a few seconds. She turned her head and caught the edge of a white cape as it disappeared down a hill. She quickly revved the bike and spun around, chasing after the apparition she had seen.

"Dammit!" Kaito screamed as Vermouth's bike came flying over the hill, landing back on the dirt with a thud. Kaito turned around to see who was chasing him but with her helmet on she was unidentifiable. However the gleam of her pistol on the sunlight made it clear she was not friendly. Thinking on his toes Kaito threw a smoke bomb down and leapt up into the tree at his side. Before the smoke settled he had already transferred into the next tree adjacent to him

"What th-" Vermouth cut herself off as she brought her motorcycle to a stop a few feet shy of Kaito's smoke cloud. She peered around the area and again, a white flash caught her eye but this time it was leaping through trees. With an air of determination Vermouth veered her bike into the thick jungle-like foliage and sped off. Dodging trees, bushes and large roots she easily caught up to Kaito

"Who the hell is this?" Kaito roared angrily as the pursuer continued to follow him. In a frenzy he started to shoot cards at the rider, deflecting off of her helmet and the bike's motor. The masked rider responded by pointing her sidearm at him and firing two shots at him, one into his hat and the other at his gun, causing it to fly out of his hand

"I won't miss again Kaito KID now stop" Kaito stopped on a dime and stood still for moment. His greatest skill had always been charming and disarming people, so this cease fire was in his best interest

"There, you've halted me. Now, what can I do for you?" Vermouth grinned under her helmet and, in dramatic fashion, pulled it off. Kaito's eyes widened as the beautiful blonde woman waved her hair around until it fell into place

"My question first KID, what are you doing here? I didn't hear anything about a heist around here?" Kaito leapt down from the tree branch and stood a few feet from her

"This is a personal errand, I'm after something more valuable than a gem" Vermouth snickered at his elevated language and took a step forward

"You mean that young girl Snake brought in?" Kaito's poker face faltered for a moment as the adult woman teased him. His fist clenched at his side but a deep breath brought his composure back

"Precisely, you wouldn't happen to know where she is would you?" Vermouth maintained her bravado as she stepped forward once again. She was now within inches of Kaito, causing him to blush at the proximity

"I might. What do you plan to do if I tell you? Hmm Kaito KID?" she employed a lusty voice that made Kaito sweat a bit. Moving suavely he jumped backward, landing back atop one of the branches in the tree behind him

"I plan to retrieve her"

"Are you that confident in your skills?" Kaito laughed at her insinuation and jumped back down, landing a few inches from her. With a flick of his wrist a vibrant red rose appeared and he offered it to her

"I haven't been beaten yet have I?" Vermouth accepted his rose and twirled it between her fingers

"I assume you're already aware of the base's location?" Kaito grinned knowingly and gave her a nod "If you go to the roof of the complex there will be four air ducts. Take the duct in the top right corner relative to the entrance. That will lead you into the main hall of the first floor. From there you'll head to down the hall until you reach a steel door. That will take you to a stairway which will take you to any floor in the base, you're lover is on the fourth floor below" Kaito's eyebrow quirked as his unnamed informant ended her instruction

"Below?" Vermouth chuckled as she placed her helmet back onto her head. Once the helmet was on completely she flipped the visor so he could see her

"Our outfit is run from under the earth. We are as close to hell as human beings can get" after finishing her ominous statement she revved the engine on her bike and sped away, leaving Kaito to revel in her words

"She said 'Our'…." He considered the ramifications of that word momentarily until a beam of sunlight shot into his eyes. He moved his hand to cover the glowing orb until he noticed how close it was to the ground "It's almost dark, I need to move" with that he began running once again toward the base. Once the sun went down, the Phantom Magician would be able to take flight

* * *

"Jodie-san, are you in position?" James asked as me walked off of the helipad

"Hai, we're all arranged as you ordered"

"Good, I want you to remain there until I arrive"

"Hai" after confirming the plan James hung up the phone and looked over at Akai, whose face had become gravely serious

"Are you ready Akai-kun?" Akai turned his head, glancing briefly at James and then started to walk forward. James understood the notion and followed him toward the vehicle they had designated for themselves: a Chevrolet 1500

* * *

"Kudo it's been two and a half hours and it's getting dark, we should go get a motel" Shinichi ignored Heiji's call to action as the duo walked around the outer premises of the building they thought was the Black Organization stronghold. They had repeated this process a multitude of times in the past few hours, enough so that Heiji had officially given up on the idea

"It's here, we just need some evidence, anything to verify our theory" Heiji rolled his eyes and grabbed Shinichi by the shoulders, turning him around

"We don't have lights; we won't be able to search once it gets dark. Plus we have no idea where the nearest motel is in this city, it could take us hours to get to it" Shinichi looked away from Heiji and folde his arms, knowing he was right. Heiji released him and began to walk away when some loose gravel caused him to fall

"You alright?" Heiji got to his feet and began to pat the dust off of his body

"Yeah, what was that?" he asked, scanning the ground beneath his feet

"Probably just loose gravel" Shinichi stated until he actually laid eyes on the spot where Heiji had fallen. Shinichi looked down and then back at Heiji, who was already grinning confidently

* * *

After their outing, Ran and Eri had returned to the detective agency where Sonoko and Kazuha had already finished the first movie. Without hesitation Sonoko had grabbed the second movie, which was a sappy drama all the women were dying to watch, even Eri. That film came and passed as well, leaving Sonoko and Ran teary eyed while Kazuha and Eri managed to maintain their composure. Sonoko's proposal of watching another was shot down promptly and the group decided on going to the Observatory Restaurant for dinner

"So Ran, I heard a rumor that Shinichi-kun asked you to join him here tomorrow" Ran blushed at the comment, earning a maternal glance from Eri

"That's good" Eri stated, much to the three girls' surprise

"Huh?" Kazuha and Sonoko asked in unison, while Ran remained silent, awaiting her mother's follow up

"What? Shinichi-kun is a brilliant young man with a future. Plus he and Ran have been inseparable for so long it's not too surprising"

"Do you know something we don't?" Sonoko asked Eri with an elevated eyebrow and a scheming grin. Eri rubbed her chin for a moment thoughtfully then readdressed her

"Well Ran did tell me the other night that-"

"Kasan!" Ran blurted out in utter embarrassment with cheeks as red as strawberries

"Honey you need to be more open about these things especially if you and Shinichi-kun plan to start-"

"Kasan!" Ran screamed at the top of her lungs, earning a giggle from her mother. The other two ladies at the table were not amused by the situation

"Wait start what?" Sonoko asked

"Yeah, what's going on?" Kazuha solicited to further the point

"Nothing!" Ran yelled forcefully. Sonoko and Kazuha sighed in defeat, knowing they wouldn't be hearing any juicy details about their friend's love life. The topic of Shinichi had rapidly worsened Ran's mindset once again. Eri noticed this and quickly tried to remedy her daughter's worries

"Ran…" Eri whispered, placing her hand on top of Ran's. Ran looked over at her mother and leaned her head on her shoulder. Her face wasn't so much sad as it was worn and tired. She appeared as if she could have fallen asleep right there

"Where is he kasan'?" Eri contemplated the question serious then beamed down at her daughter with soft eyes

"I'm sure wherever he is he's there for a reason. And I'm sure he misses you" Ran's cheeks tinged with pink as Eri planted a small kiss on the top of her head. Sonoko and Kazuha were afraid to move on the off chance that it might ruin the sentimental moment, so they remained quiet and enjoyed the beautiful scene before them

* * *

"Keibu?"

"What is it Mouri-kun?" Kogoro's expression was serious as he approached his partner

"What's the situation?" Megure took a deep breath and glanced back and Jodie and Camel who were in the middle of a discussion

"We're waiting for the F.B.I official James Black. Once he arrives we'll proceed with out operation" Mouri turned away from Megure and looked off into the distance at the target

"What exactly is the operation?" Megure swiveled his body as well to face the building in question

"Our plan is to send two teams into that base. One will consist of the Task Force and they will go through the main entrance. The other will consist of Sato-kun, Takag-kun, Shiratori-kun, Chiba-kun and Agent Camel. He will lead them through the back entryway" Kogoro nodded, communicating his comprehension of the plan then turned back to look at Megure who remained facing forward

"What about us? And Agent Starling?"

"We are going to stay here and serve as a communications team. You and I will be relaying the orders that Jodie-kun and Agent Black give to the two teams. I will be speaking the second team and you will be speaking to the first" Kogoro remained silent for a moment then placed his hands on the back of his head and sighed

"Figures I would come all the way here and get stuck with a desk job" Megure laughed and patted Kogoro on the back

"You're an assistant Chief Mouri-kun, running in and getting the bad guys isn't your job anymore" Kogoro sighed again then smiled genially at Megure

"I guess you're right. I feel so old!" he groaned, making Megure laugh once again

**So here we are, the action is getting under way although there are still a few questions that need to be answered, mainly being **

**Where is Yuusaku? And what exactly is Kaito planning? Not to mention what is Vermouth's end game and what is it Shouchou has planned for Sheery and the other 'failed experiments'?**

**The plot is drawing ever closer to climax so keep on keepin' on and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	48. Under the Guise

**Tokyo: 7:40**

**Panay: 6:40**

"We're lucky you tripped over that air vent" Heiji stated as he and Shinichi made their way through the cramped air duct

"I can think of a hundred different ways I would rather have used to infiltrate this place" Shinichi grumbled as he wiped another sheet of sweat off of his face. The duo had been crawling for five minutes using only the light from Shinichi's wrist watch. Unfortunately for them, the duct they had stumbled into was full of hot vapor which made their cramped conditions even more uncomfortable

"What room are you lookin' for again?" Shinichi sighed at his question as he swept his forearm across his face

"We need to find a room where we won't be detected. You think we'll survive very long if we just jump out of the air ducts? Now there should be a restroom somewhere in this facility" Heiji shook his head with a deep, constrained breath

"Right, but we gotta' hurry"

"Hattori we can't go too fast or they'll know we're here. Keep quiet and I'll let you know when we get there" Heiji, who normally would have fought his attempt at inherent leadership simply nodded and pressed onward, trying not to focus on the sweat soaking his body and the pressure on his chest

* * *

"Akai-kun slow down!" James ordered with a terrified expression. Akai grinned at the fear in his superior's eyes and pressed his foot harder to the gas

"Gomen James-san, but we have to hurry and at this pace we can be at their location in ninety minutes" James gripped the console on his left and the arm rest on his right and said a silent prayer that they would arrive in once piece. As James continued to quell his own fear, his phone laid helplessly in his pocket, vibrating incessantly

* * *

"Dammit!" Jodie yelled as she slammed her cell phone shut. After four unanswered calls to her boss she was officially frustrated

"No answer?" Camel asked nervously, already knowing the answer

"No, and this is the fourth time I've tried to contact him" Camel walked over to his worrisome leader and put a hand on her shoulder

"Do you remember what James-san told you before giving us this assignment" Jodie thought for a moment before recollecting the incident

**~Flashback~**

"Agent Starling" James called out officially from his office. Jodie hesitated for a moment then strode in

"What is it sir?" James pulled his chair a little closer to his desk and placed his clasped hands on top of it

"Jodie, this new mission is especially dangerous and will require the utmost prowess and shrewdness in decision making" Jodie nodded, suddenly unnerved by the harsh tone he was using

"Yes sir"

"Listen to me, if ever there comes a point when I am unreachable or incapacitated I want you to take charge. Someone has to make decisions and if I'm not there to do so then I'm relying on you to do so. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" his tone was serious and with stare was unrelenting. Jodie nodded compliantly and with that James smiled and told her she could carry on

**~End Flashback~**

"When you told that's what he had told you I wasn't surprised. You're an excellent agent and you have the capability to lead this team." Jodie's eyes were wide with fear and anxiety even as Camel's encouraging words resonated in her ears. She had never considered herself a leader, at least not the way James was a leader, or Akai. 'Shuu…what would you do?'

* * *

"Come on girls" Eri said, addressing all three of the young women at the table. Sonoko, who was face deep in a desert parfait looked up at her, along with Kazuha and Ran.

"What are you talking about kasan'? Where are we going?" Ran asked

"Yeah I'm still eating" Sonoko blurted out uncouthly

"I think we should go and visit Agasa Hakase at the hospital, and that young girl, what was her name?"

"Ai-kun, and you're right, we haven't seen them all day and they're probably bored and lonely" Ran replied sympathetically, rising from the table

"But I just…fine" Sonoko said with a grimace as she abandoned the half-eaten ice-cream treat. After going to the front desk and paying the bill the four women exited the restaurant and headed for Eri's car. They were lucky Kogoro decided to take a cab

* * *

"Wake up" Gin said in a grim voice that would have made the hair stand up on the arms of even the grizzliest man. Haibara twitched a few times but did not awaken, given that the sedative in her system was highly potent. Gin looked puzzled by her reaction to his command and moved to unlock the cell when Shouchou gripped his wrist firmly

"Gin your judgment is impaired by your history with this girl. Any fool could see she's feigning sleep to create an escape route" Shouchou grinned when he saw the shrunken scientist tremble at his words "I know you haven't forgotten my voice, Sherry" Haibara tried with every ounce of her willpower to remain still but the fear in her heart caused her body to fidget and quake unconsciously

"So you are awake? How could I have been so foolish?" Gin asked himself with a smirk as he cocked the pistol he was carrying in his tranchcoat pocket and pointed it just to the right of her head

"Gin there's no need for that" Shouchou said calmly as he released Gin's left wrist from his hold. "Now, Sherry if you would please stand up and look at us. Ignoring your elders is very disrespectful" Haibara could hardly even clench her eyelids shut anymore. The concrete below her head was slowly being stained with bitter and painful tears. With a deep breath Haibara turned herself around and wiped her eyes

"I always hoped I'd never have to see you again" Haibara started with a spiteful scowl

"That's all you have to say after abandoning myself and the Organization that raised you? You were like a daughter to me and you just left without saying goodbye" Shouchou asked her almost sarcastically with a faint degree of legitimacy

"What about Akemi? Was she like a daughter to you too?" Haibara screamed with passion, stepping closer to the bars of her cell. Shouchou's face hardened at the mention of the fallen agent

"That…was a necessary sacrifice. She wanted to take you away from the family that loved you. The decision was a painful but in the end it's better to trim a single dying rather than a whole branch right?" Haibara's eyebrows curved as the long withheld tears began to appear in her eyes

"You're a disgusting human being and one day I'll do to you what he did to her" Gin reached his hands through the bars of the cage and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. Haibara, who was intently focused on Shouchou didn't even notice the gesture. As he pulled his hand back he smiled, more genuinely than usual

"You feel the same as you did before…" Gin mumbled to himself, staring deliberately at Haibara

"Sherry I know your heart is hardened now but soon we'll have you back to your original age and you'll be back to work on the APTX poison. All of this will be a thing of the past" Haibara's rage turned into a very sardonic snicker as she turned away from the two men

"What makes you think I would ever lift a finger to help you?" Shouchou smirked at the combative nature of his former employee and breathed a heavy sigh

"Sherry, do you know why I chose alcohol as this operation's pseudonym?" Haibara remained, indicated she either didn't know or had no interest in knowing. Shouchou got down on once knee in front of the cell and brought himself as close to it as he could "You see, over the ages the most enlightened thinkers and greatest innovators have been influenced by the drink. The disciples of Christ, Leonardo DaVinci, Edgar Allen Poe, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and countless others made great achievements with alcohol at their right hand." Haibara swiveled her head slightly as the ongoing analogy peaked her interest. Gin stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a knowing grin splayed on his face. "We are not trying to destroy the world Sherry, we are trying to save it from itself. We have the tools to bring ourselves to the forefront of the world and take on a role of leadership. We can lead the people of this planet out of the stool they currently wallow in. But the only way to help the world is to bring it to its knees" Haibara comprehended the point he was making, and in fact she had considered it many times. For a period of her life it even made complete sense, but not anymore

"I've learned from being outside of this place that people are not meant to serve the kind of power you're speaking of. Even if your desires became reality, it would never last. History has taught us this well; Mesopotamia, Greece, Persia, Rome, Mongolia, Imperial England and Nazi Germany. All of these groups have sought the power you seek and they have all been toppled over. The power to control human beings is not meant to be wielded by human beings themselves" Shouchou rose off of his knee and took a step back, bringing himself shoulder to shoulder with Gin

"Gin, we have no further use for her. You may end her life as you see fit. It's a pity, to waste such a mind as yours, Sherry. Or should I say Shiho, now that you're no longer under my employ" he laughed as he walked away, disappearing into the dimly lit hallway

* * *

"What's happening?" Aoko asked Arnold, who had been eyeing the situation between the two men and the new inmate

"I can't get a good look at the prisoner they are talking to but I recognize that guy, that's Gin. A lot of the time he's the one who comes in here with new prisoners. He's apparently one of the higher ranked members in the joint" Aoko nodded then turned back to see what was happening. They had already watched one of the men leave and now only Gin remained. Arnold's hearing was exceptional so he had caught most of the conversation but now he couldn't hear a word they were saying

"What are they saying? I can't hear them" Aoko solicited worriedly

"I don't know, unless I'm losing my touch I don't think their saying anything. It seems like their having somewhat of a standoff" by this point Aoko had already clasped her hands together and brought them to her chest. Although she didn't know the prisoner she couldn't shake the gut-wrenchingly ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach

* * *

Kaito had been on the move nonstop since his conversation with the mystery woman. Even despite her assistance in his venture he still couldn't help but ponder the last words she had said

"She said 'our'…" he mumbled to himself as he ducked behind a tree. Once his back made contact with the stable tree trunk he was helpless against his own fatigue and he slumped down into a sitting position. As he panted for breath the words still circulated in his mind 'could she be working with Snake? How big is this operation that he works for?' the questions haunting Kaito now as they had since the day he took on the identity of his father's character. These thoughts were soon dismissed however when Kaito noticed something out of the corner of his eye. With a face of excitement he rose to his feet and spun around to face the horizon. With a grin he adjusted the monocle on his eye "Now night has fallen and the time has come for the Moonlight Magician to soar" with this he began to traverse the branches of the tree above him, climbing to ward the top. Once he reached the peak he leapt off, releasing the glider concealed by his cape. With this new speed and the cloak of night it would only be minutes before he reached his target

* * *

"Time to go" Yuusaku said to himself at an almost inaudible volume. Clad in a white dress shirt, a black tie, black slacks and a long flowing dark blue cape, Yuusaku rose from the crouching position he had been in. With a stern face exuding iron will and determination he brought the white mask in his hand up to his face and put it on. Once secured he dashed away in a full sprint, leaving in his wake a trio of incapacitated guards and two destroyed surveillance cameras. He knew they would be coming soon to check on the situation which is why he had to be ready. The plan was simple: take out the guards, wait for the next batch of guards to appear and slip inside undetected. From there it would just be a matter of laying low and locating the man he was after, a man he'd never even seen, the man who killed his wife

* * *

It'd been a long day for Kobayashi Sumiko, soon to be Shiratori Sumiko. Truthfully, even despite her fiancé's confidence and bravado she had been worried sick. Much to the children's dismay she told them she had to go home because she was feeling ill. They had offered to take care of her but she kindly declined. The sickness she was feeling could not be remedied by simple methods or positive attitude. Her illness was not due to the presence of something negative and harmful, but rather due to the absence of someone positive and wonderful. She knew she shouldn't call him because they were on important business but the more she thought about his absence the more she felt a need to speak to him, to hear his voice. After much debate (all of course at herself in a mirror) she finally gave in and dialed his number. She stood by with anticipation as the rings passed. One….two….three…four….f-

"Sumiko?" Shiratori started with a puzzled air in his voice

"Shiratori-kun! I just….wanted to see how things were going…" Shiratori smiled at her nervousness and responded in a gentle tone

"Everything is fine, we haven't even begun yet. We're still waiting on the head F.B.I agent, he's supposed to be here in the next two hours" Kobayashi nodded into the phone and breathed a sigh that embodied both relief and concern

"How dangerous is this going to be? Are you going to be alright?" even in light of their relationship in the past Shiratori was still always taken back by his girlfriend's protective nature

"I'll be fine, I promise. Look Sumiko we're being called so I'll call you once we've finished here okay?"

"Hai, and Ninzaburo-kun…" Shiratori's ear pricked up at the use of his first name

"What is it?" Kobayashi's cheeks flushed as she struggled to use the words that were still embarrassing to use aloud

"I…I love you" Shiratori's lips were suddenly curved upward in a boyish grin as a touch of pink spread onto his dimples

"I love you too" he replied in husky, masculine tone that made a tingle go down the young school teacher's spine. With that Shiratori hung up the phone, leaving Kobayashi feeling much better. She breathed deeply and beamed as she fell into the blankets on her bed. She breathed them in, remembering who had been in them with her just a short time ago and drifted off into an early slumber

* * *

"Listen, James-san is currently unreachable so in his stead I will be assuming control of this operation. It's already nightfall so our teams will be moving in as soon as possible. I want all officers split into their teams and I want to speak with the previously designated leaders. Let's move!" Jodie's authoritative tone was enough to send the officers into a frenzy of movement as they tried to organize themselves. Amidst the chaos Camel, Megure, Kogoro and the head of the Special Task Force all came forward and stood before Jodie

"What's going on?" Camel asked, unnerved by his unusual lack of knowledge involving the situation

"I want to reaffirm the plan. Mouri-san, you will be relaying my orders via headset to Tanaka-san. Tanaka-san you will be entering from the front seeing as you have the most experience with invasion and detainment" Tanaka nodded as did Kogoro

"And I will be communicating with Camel-kun?" Megure inquired rhetorically

"That's right. Camel-san you will be taking your team through the back entrance we discussed earlier. It is heavily guarded so be careful and try to minimize the amount of noise you make. Remember, you're the undercover ops so if they become of your presence too soon this could get ugly" the four men all nodded in unison and Jodie gestured for them to proceed.

**Serious movement in the story here. All the pieces are in place, now all that's left is the showdown to end them all. Everyone has a different objective and none are aware that they share a setting. **

**Yuusaku wants Gin**

**Kaito wants Aoko**

**Shinichi/Heiji want justice and the rest just want to bring the whole thing down**

**Who wins? Who loses? Who is lost?**

**The battle begins next chapter so rememeber**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged(Strongly)**


	49. Makeshift Plans

**Tokyo: 8:00 p.m**

**Panay: 7:00 p.m**

"Sir what is it?" Gin asked after rushing to Shouchou's office. Just a few minutes earlier he'd received a frantic call instructing him to do so

"Maybe you can tell me why four of our cameras are down along with nine of our guards!" Gin was puzzled by his superior's unusually uncouth temperament

"I will go and take care of it immediately" Gin replied with an amused grin. He quickly turned and left Shouchou's office with his gun already cocked 'So there's an intruder on the premises? Soon he'll be just another dead body lying on the floor'

* * *

"It's a good thing Agasa Hakase gave me the blueprints to his tranquilizer design. All I had to do was talk to a friend and ask him to make the prototype into a larger instrument with more ammunition storage." Yuusaku said to himself aloud as his eleventh victim fell harmlessly to the tile floor. Yuusaku spun the tranquilizer gun on his index finger then slid it back into the holster on his left side. Then, with a flash f his cape he took off sprinting down the dark corridor. As he ran a memory penetrated his mind

**~Flashback~**

"Silver hair?" Yukiko asked, having heard her son's explanation of the events that had followed his shrinking

"Seems odd" Yuusaku added with a contemplative expression

"Look his hair doesn't matter, what matters is that he is the most dangerous member of that Organization I've encountered yet. He is ruthless and willing to kill even if it isn't necessary" the panic in the seven year old's voice put the situation in perspective for Yuusaku. His usually cool and collected child was practically hyperventilating at the thought of this one man

"I understand. Listen, if you would just come back to the United States with us, at least for some time we could help you. I have many friends in-"

"You've told me this dad, but do you think just because I'm gone they'll stop scouring Japan for me? I'd be leaving everyone in danger and I can't do that" Yukiko beamed amorously and bent over to bring herself to eye level with her shrunken son

"And by everyone you mean your beloved Ran-chan right?" Conan blushed at the implication and to a step back away from his mother

"I didn't mean just her but I guess yeah she'd be someone that I need to be here with to…protect" Yukiko giggled like a schoolgirl and lifted her son off of the ground, twirling him in the air

"You are so cute!" she screamed while Yuusaku simply laughed at his son's reaction. After about twenty seconds of this Yukiko finally placed her son back on the ground

"In all seriousness son, you should consider coming back with us. If you ever expect to make any leeway with this investigation you're going to need help, and not just from the 'Great Mouri Kogoro'." Yukiko's expression morphed into one of more sympathy as Conan mulled over his father's words

"You could even bring Ran-chan with you! Just think, you could tell her everything then you'd have two less things to worry about!" despite Yukiko's enthusiasm, Conan was not sold and he chose to remain in Tokyo

**~End Flashback~**

'Silver hair…' he thought as he ducked into a dark corner

* * *

Once Gin had left him, Shouchou immediately marched toward his secretary

"No calls, no visitors, I'm going down to the laboratory" his secretary nodded and with that Shouchou went to the stairwell. He knew the layout of his base very well, so the third floor laboratory was easy to find. He swung the metal door open, revealing a team of scientists all suited in white coats. They were moving back and forth across the room, seemingly busy with something

"What is it sir?" the lead scientist asked him

"Is it ready? Is it operational?" he asked tersely with an air of panic. The scientist flipped through a few pages of her clipboard then shook her head

"Sir I told you when we received the sample that it would take time. This is a completely new idea and it has to be dealt with as such" Shouchou seemed infuriated by the response but managed to somewhat keep his composure

"How long will it be?" he inquired in a quiet and angry tone

"Maybe a few more hours, but that's only for the smaller prototype. The larger scale will take a few weeks to construct" Shouchou's knuckles went white with the news. In a fit of rage he removed a pistol from beneath his suit top and shot the scientist in the left thigh

"I want an operational device in ten minutes do you understand?" Shouchou said with gritted teeth. The whole lab had frozen at the gunshot and was now staring at him with fearful expressions "Listen closely" he said, projecting his voice to address the entire laboratory "If I don't have a device at my disposal in ten minutes, I will kill her, then I will kill all of you." As he finished he looked down and noticed the pool of blood around the young female scientist "I might not have to kill her. Patch her up if you wish but remember, you have ten minutes" he stood still for a moment to stare down the audience and make sure they understood his ultimatum, then he turned and left the lab. As the door closed behind him he heard a flurry of movement and a loud scream most likely from the scientist who had been withholding it since she was injured. With a snicker Shouchou flipped his cellphone open and dialed the first of many numbers he would call

* * *

"Okay Kudo, we found the restroom, now what?" Heiji solicited with a quirked eyebrow

"I'll look out to make sure everything is clear then we go" Heiji seemed confused and alarmed by the ambiguous plan

"Go? What do ya' mean go? Where are we going?" Before he could get an answer Shinichi's head was sticking out of the bathroom door and within a few seconds he had exited, leaving Heiji puzzled and annoyed. Heiji shrugged out his doubts and followed Shinichi out of the restroom

"Look over there, it's a large steel door. That's most likely a stairwell, if we can get to that we should be able to navigate our way through this place" Heiji was still utterly unconvinced by the makeshift plan and grabbed Shinichi by the right shoulder before he could run off

"Wait" he whispered, looking around cautiously "we need to figure out where we're going first" Shinichi nodded, consenting to the idea

"Okay, well we need to find wherever it is they do their base operations from" Heiji gestured in agreement

"You mean like a main office?" Shinichi nodded

"Exactly. I think that stairwell should lead us there, and since we're on the base floor, anything of importance will be below the surface which means if we check every door we should find it" Heiji agreed and the two teenage detectives set their eyes to the door just twenty feet to their left

"Ready?" Heiji asked with an air of determination. Shinichi nodded and in one move the two made a break for the door, keeping their eyes set on it

* * *

"Do you think we should try and talk to her?" Aoko asked Arnold, whose eyes had been set on the seemingly young girl since Gin had left

"I can hardly see her and we don't know her name, how are we supposed to talk to her?" Aoko sighed in defeat. She knew it made no sense but somehow she felt obligated to try. With a deep breath and a determined countenance she yelled down the hall

"Hello? Little girl? The one who was just talking to those two men, what's your name?" she and Arnold both awaited a response, but after a few seconds shook his head and flipped over so his back was on the cold iron bars

"It was a nice gesture, but there's not much point. We don't know if she speaks Japanese or not" as he finished his sentence another violent cough caused a splatter of blood to splay all over his hand. Aoko looked over at him with concern but Arnold smiled and waved it off, wiping the blood onto the concrete beside him. With a swish of his mouth the blood that stained his teeth was gone as well, leaving him looking normal once again

"I just wish there was a way to sure she's alright" Arnold half grinned as he adjusted his position for comfort

"Well considering she was alone with Gin and he didn't fire a bullet, I'd say she's just fine" the claim made sense, but the feeling way down in her stomach was still bothering her

* * *

"How many cameras are down now?" Gin asked as he entered the surveillance tower, which housed a single man in charge of monitoring the cameras

"Eight and judging by the footage before their destruction there are at least twelve men down. But sir" the man started, waited for Gin's full attention. Gin looked at him with a searing stare and a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the overweight security guard's temple

"What is it?" the guard stumbled with his words then turned to his computer and brought two images

"They're not the same person. One is wearing all white and the other is in dark clothes" a vicious smile played on his lips as he turned and left the room without a word 'So, Kaito KID is here along with the other intruder…' he flipped his phone open and called one of his speed dials

"Vodka" he started plainly

"What is it?" he replied, not unaccustomed to the exchange

"Where are you, there are two intruders at the base and one of them is the Kaito KID" there was no response on the other line which initially infuriated Gin. One of the things he hated most in the world was disrespect, especially from his partner. Before he could act on his rage a finger tapped his shoulder. Without hesitation Gin spun around, placing the barrel of his cocked and ready pistol on the person's forehead

"You're too paranoid" Vodka said as he slowly moved his head away from Gin's gun. Gin grinned and put the gun back into his pocket

"You should know by now not to sneak up on me, I've killed man like that" Vodka smiled back at him and adjusted his hat

"So what's your plan?" he asked, changing the subject to the matter at hand

"That depends, who should we kill first?"

* * *

The four ladies were shocked when they entered the hospital floor where Agasa was staying

"I need you to stay back" a female officer said with a stern voice

"Officer Naeko don't be so harsh, I know them" Yumi said from behind her. Naeko turned around with a bewildered expression as Yumi walked up to the group with a smile

"Konichiwa Ran-chan!" Yumi greeted amiably. Ran waved back to her with a smile

"Officer Yumi, I thought you were a traffic patroller?"

"I am, but because the department took so many of the investigators to that operation in the Philippines, we were short handed so a few of the more experienced traffic cops got brought up to take care of investigations" Ran nodded then realized the rest of the people with her hadn't yet been introduced

"I don't think you've met them, this is Toyama Kazuha, this is Suzuki Sonoko and this is-"

"Kisaki Eri, of course we all know about her. She's the greatest female lawyer in Japan" Eri blushed at the compliment and waved her hand in pseudo-denial

"Oh stop" the group laughed for a few seconds until Yumi finally asked

"What are you doing here anyway?" Ran suddenly remembered why they were there and her face morphed into one of worry and concern

"We came to see Agasa Hakase and Haibara Ai, are they alright?" Yumi's usual bubbly demeanor faltered and she took a step closer to the group

"Haibara Ai was kidnapped a few hours ago. It wasn't discovered until just a little while ago because her condition had stabilized so her check ups were only taking place every three hours" the group shared a gasp then Eri spoke up

"What about Hakase, is he here?" Yumi nodded

"He's being questioned over there, you can see him if you want" the four nodded and made there way past the yellow tape and walked toward a table where an officer was sitting across from Agasa

"Thank you, that's all for now" with that the officer stood up and left and Ran, Sonoko, Kazuha and Eri sat down in his place

"Hakase are you okay?" Ran asked sympathetically

"What are we going to do Ran-kun? They took her, it was _those people_ and now she's probably on her way to who knows where. They'll kill her Ran-kun, they'll kill her" Agasa seemed deeply troubled by the idea and Ran understood his pain. She stood up from her spot and switched sides, taking a seat next to Agasa. Before Agasa could question her she wrapped her arms around him and let her head come to rest on his right shoulder

"Gomenesai, Hakase" Agasa was speechless along with the rest of the table. They all sat in silence, hoping and praying for a miracle

* * *

"Megure-san, we're in position" Camel stated officially. Megure swiveled his head and spoke in Jodie's direction

"Team two is ready" Jodie nodded

"What about team one Mouri-san?" Kogoro adjusted his microphone and spoke into it

"Tanaka-san, are you ready?" the line was silent for a few seconds until a scared voice came ringing through the headset

"Mouri-san something's wrong…" Kogoro's expression hardened at the ominous comment

"What are you talking about?"

"I need to talk to Agent Starling!" Kogoro flinched at the volume of his voice and removed the headset

"Agent Starling, he said he needs to speak to you" Jodie hesitated for a second then walked over to Kogoro and took the headset

"What is it? What's happened?" after a few seconds of listening to him Jodie's eyes widened and her pupils dilated. After hearing everything he had to say Jodie ordered him to remain in position and await further orders

"What happened?" Kogoro asked, with Megure staring intently at Jodie as well

"He…he said that there were four incapacitated guards outside the main entrance and that the door was hanging open…." The two male investigators both looked at each other stunned

"What does that mean? Is someone else already there?" Jodie shook her head, placing a hand on her forehead.

"I don't know who, but there has to be someone else in there. We can only hope they're on our side" as Jodie walked back to her post Megure's worries seem to increase

"Keibu, is something wrong?" Kogoro asked, noticed the stress on his partner's features

"I just…it's nothing, come on let's focus we have work to do" Kogoro consented to the demand but the thought did not leave Megure's brain 'Could Kudo-kun have really….'

* * *

As Shouchou entered his office his secretary seemed busy collating various documents so he waited for her to stop before addressing her. After a minute or so he finally decided he had waited long enough

"A-hem" he coughed, earning the full attention of his employee

"Yes sir?"

"In a few minutes I'm expecting a few of my higher ranked agents to arrive so when they do let me know" the secretary nodded and Shouchou walked back into his darkened office 'Whoever this intruder is, he's no match for my elite squad of killers. Although Chianti was quite a loss Korn, Kir and Vermouth should be plenty enough to stop one man'

* * *

**Two chapters in two days, aren't I cool? Well here it is, it's going down and it's only a matter of time before adversaries start to face off. And yet still so many questions**

**How close is Kaito to Aoko? Will Yuusaku find the 'silver-haired' man? Are Shinichi and Heiji in way over their heads? How will Jodie handle this new development?**

**All this and more next time on TBAW and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is...let's make that required too, just to clear up misconceptions**

**and if you haven't yet, give Matt Gallion A.A.L a read, it's just dumb humor but its short**


	50. Hark the Angels!

**Tokyo: 8:20 p.m**

**Panay: 7:20 p.m**

"Sir where are you-"

"I'm going to check on the progress the lab has made on my weapon" Shouchou replied to his secretary as he strode out the door toward the stairwell. 'I've been waiting for this since the moment I laid eyes on that beautiful device'

**~Flashback~**

"Sir" one of the henchmen formerly under Bourbon's command said formally as he entered Shouchou's office

"What is it?" he asked hoarsely, causing the young recruit to jump slightly

"Uh we brought something back that might interest you" he explained with a trembling voice. Shouchou rose from his chair and walked around his desk toward the terrified employee

"Will it make up for the death of one of our highest ranking operatives?" the henchman remained silent, knowing that there was no right answer the question. Sensing his question would not be answered he approached the henchmen slowly, bringing himself within a couple feet

"Uh…" the young man muttered, seemingly at a loss for words

"Well what is it?" Shouchou asked with a steadily rising temper

"It's a uh…force…bomb I guess. Look I don't know how it works all I know is that it can blast a human being ten feet back without any visible contact" the henchman spat out his explanation with blinding speed, making his words almost undecipherable

"Really?" Shouchou inquired sarcastically, raising both his eyebrows in mock interest "Well this might come in handy, thank you. What's your name?" he solicited with a kind grin. The henchman almost cried when he asked the question. There was a rumor that higher ranking operative told the lesser henchman on stakeouts and missions. The story went that when _that person_ was going to kill you, he would smile and ask you your name. If you gave him the right answer he would pat your shoulder and that was that, but if you gave him the wrong answer he would end you right then and there

"It's uh…" the henchman stumbled on his words, trying to buy time

"Come on now, it's not too hard of a question. What is your name?" the henchman started to sweat profusely as Shouchou's grin continued to widen. He took a deep breath and took on an expression of determination

"My name is Oguri Ryo sir" he stated with a rapidly fleeting bode of confidence

"Well, thank you for this, Ryo-kun. You may go now" it didn't take any more prompting for Ryo to leave. With a brief bow he turned and started to walk out of the room. As he approached the door a small click reverberated throughout the darkened office. Before he could turn Shouchou fired, embedding a bullet into his brainstem. Ryo's corpse fell to the floor with a loud 'thud' and Shouchou quickly went to his intercom and radioed his secretary

"Yes sir"

"Send someone in to clean my office and get me the head lab technician"

"Hai"

**~End Flashback~**

Shouchou chuckled maniacally to himself as he continued down the corridor, his mind full of images depicting death, carnage and imperialistic rule

* * *

"Hakase" Ran started after a period of silence. Agasa looked at her with mournful eyes but said nothing. Ran swallowed hard, suddenly tempted to keep her words under wraps. After a few seconds of reassuring herself he asked "Where would they have taken her?" Agasa shuddered at the question but knew in his heart that if they were going to find her they had to move fast

"When Shinichi-kun and Ai-kun were talking they mentioned the island of Panay in the Philippines"

"That's where Kogoro said he was going with Megure-keibu and the police" Eri added

"Wait Ran, do you think…" Kazuha faded out, leaving the rest of her sentence to implication. Ran stood up from the table and looked out into space with worried eyes

"When Megure-keibu said Shinichi wasn't allowed to go with them, Shinichi did seem upset" Kazuha rose abruptly from her spot at the table as well

"No doubt those two idiots went on their own, trying to be heroes or something!" Kazuha ranted angrily, her fists clenched and pressed firmly to the tabletop

"If that's true, they're in over their heads" Eri stated, standing up as well

"We have to help them somehow" Ran declared, stepping around the table to stand beside Kazuha. Kazuha gave her a nod in agreement. Eri promptly waved off the idea

"No, we are not going there. It's dangerous and you could get hurt. Besides, what could you possibly do to help, you are teenage girls" Suddenly Sonoko shot up from her seat and raised her fist into the air, striking an epic pose

"For love, anything can be accomplished! Isn't that right, Ran?" Sonoko asked with a quirked eyebrow. Ran blushed slightly but only for a moment before the air of determination returned to her features

"Well I certainly can't go, I'm old and fat and wouldn't be of much help anyway. But there is one thing I can do" Agasa's confident grin was foreign to the women but nevertheless encouraging

"What is it Hakase?" Ran asked excitedly

"We'll have to go to my house"

* * *

Yuusaku had been on the move, making slow and steady progress through the underground base. He had already descended one floor and taken out a number of guards in the process. What struck him as odd and disturbing was the fact that a few of the guards he had reached were already incapacitated. He wrote them off at the time but after reflecting was deeply disturbed the fact 'Could it be…' he thought 'Has James-san already made it in, have they already caught up to me?' his thoughts were interrupted by two passing guards striding down the hall with purpose. Yuusaku quickly dove into a darkened corner, shrouding himself in shadows so as not to be seen. As the two men passed however something caught his ear

"Can you believe this, we stay hidden for thirty years and in one day we have two intruders and the F.B.I on our doorstep"

"It had to have been an inside job, there has to be a rat in the higher ups"

"I bet it's that Kir, wasn't she the one everyone thought was dirty?"

"Yeah but she finished off Akai Shuuichi, the most dangerous F.B.I agent we've ever seen. If that's not proof of loyalty, I don't know what is" as they marched past him, Yuusaku couldn't help but want to hear the rest of the conversation. With the utmost subtly Yuusaku trailed the two agents, sticking to the wall and hiding in corners when possible. He managed to stay close enough to them to pick up on their words

"So did you hear about the look of these two guys?"

"Well I heard one's in all white and the other is in mostly black and dark stuff"

"It's more than that, one is the Kaito KID and the other is dressed just like the Night Baron"

"You mean from the Kudo books?"

"Yup"

"It's funny, the two people trying to stop us are both world renowned criminals"

"Shut up, we're almost there. The last thing we want is to keep Gin waiting, that guy is insane."

"Right sorry, let's go" as the two sped away, Yuusaku was frozen in place. 'Gin….' Without his direct consent his feet began to move in the direction of the two men he had been tailing.

* * *

Vermouth stood in the area designated by Shouchou during their phone call. She had been instructed to wait for Korn and Kir at a specific coordinate outside of the main base. She had been wandering around outside the building anyway so getting to the spot took only a few minutes. She had started to grow impatient as the minutes wore on until she saw the first on her two associates

"Vermouth" Korn greeted coldly. Vermouth giggled in the bubbly way she knew annoyed everyone around her. She didn't care; in fact she actually enjoyed the idea of infuriating them, especially Gin.

"Where's Kir?" Vermouth inquired. Korn turned away from her and spoke over his shoulder

"How should I know?" Vermouth shook her head and continued to look around, waiting for the third member of their temporary squadron. Soon she grew irritated and reached into her pocket to grab her phone. She started to dial when a finger tapped her shoulder

"Impatient? I'm right on time" Kir said with a smug grin as she tapped the plastic on her watch. Vermouth almost snarled at the cocky woman but retained her composure

"So what's this mission?" Korn asked, now facing the two women

"_He_ said to call when we'd assembled" Kir answered matter-of-factly. Without any verbal warning Vermouth put in his speed dial and pressed the phone to her ear. After one ring he picked up

"You're ready then?"

"Hai" Vermouth responded. Vermouth continued to listen and nod into the phone as Shouchou relayed his plan to her. After the whole idea had been explained she confirmed she understood and hung up

"So what is it?" Korn asked in a gruff and curt manner

"Apparently there are F.B.I surrounding the building. We have to eliminate them" Korn and Kir grinned at the prospect

"How many?" Kir solicited, still utterly amused by the idea of murdering law enforcement agents

"Eight outside the main entrance and another six coming in through the back" the three remained silent until Korn finally asked the question they all had on their minds

"So, who goes where?" Vermouth contemplated the options for a few seconds before pointing at herself

"I'll go to the back, you two take the front" Korn didn't seem to care one way or the other but Kir shook her head at the idea

"Let me take the back. You go with Korn and take the front" a passerby might have sworn they saw fire erupt from behind Vermouth at the suggestion

"Are you challenging my authority?" she asked with a plastic smile that portrayed nothing but malice and vicious intent

"Oh come off it Vermouth. Look it doesn't matter, either way they'll be dead before they hit the ground. Let's just go and take care of this" Vermouth looked over at Korn and then back to Kir

"Fine…" she grumbled angrily. She turned and walked off toward the main entrance while Korn lingered behind for a moment

"If I were you, I'd do my best not to make her angry. She usually kills people she doesn't like" he stated plainly as he walked by her. Kir nodded with a smirk 'In a while, it won't matter whether or not she likes me. This is all going to end tonight'

* * *

"Akai-kun, how close are we?" James asked in a more level tone, having adjusted to the fast speeds at which Akai was driving

"Halfway. At this rate we'll be there sooner than I expected" James was pleased by the answer and turned back toward his window

"When was the last time you communicated with Hidemi-san?" the truck was silent for a good minute before Akai finally answered

"It's been a few weeks. Recently it's been more difficult for her to get to me" James ingested the information with a straight face

"Is she aware of our movements in the past few days?" Akai nodded

"I told her I planned on meeting with you. Although she hasn't been informed of the details, she probably assumed something was going to happen" James seemed perturbed by the fact that she wasn't actually aware of the plan. "James-san?" James' thoughts were broken and he swiveled his head toward Akai who had a knowing grin plastered on his face

"What is it?"

"She's an F.B.I agent, she'll know what to do when the time comes" James did not respond but to the comment for what it was. Akai was trying his best to be reassuring but anyone who had ever spoken with him knew that sympathy wasn't with strong suit

* * *

"Where is it?" Shouchou asked brusquely as he kicked the door to the laboratory open

"Sir!"

"Is it finished?" he asked again, this time withdrawing his firearm and cocking it

"Uh hai but s-"

"Excellent, give it to me" the technician seemed troubled by her superiors hasty acquisition of the device and rushed to his side

"Sir there's something you need to know" she started, trying to gain his attention. Unfortunately Shouchou was long gone, already absorbed in his own world

"So this is it, a sound-wave generator module! This will make all combustion grenades obsolete. With this I can produce three times the force and double the blast range of a regular grenade. We'll produce these by the thousands and sell them to every blood-thirsty third world nation. We'll expand them, making them powerful enough to level cities. Nuclear warheads will be a thing of the past. And best of all, this can hold a charge so it can be used over and over again." he continued to chuckled and ogle at the black ball in his hands. Even as he left the room the lab tech was still screaming, trying to get his attention even for a second

* * *

"Now what?" Heiji inquired, looking over at Shinichi who had a contemplative expression painted on his face

"Well, since we don't know this building's layout the only thing we can do is check out every floor until we come across something" Heiji rolled his eyes at what he deemed to be a stupid plan

"If you get me killed Kudo..." Shinichi grinned his usual smug grin and somehow it comforted Heiji. After a brief lapse of time with which they caught their breath they both took on serious countenances and opened the door to the first underground level of the fortress, unsure of what lied in store

* * *

"Let's see, if the entrance was the zero floor then I must be at the second floor under" Kaito said to himself. Despite his extensive experience in breaking and entering this base had given him a run for his money. In his wake he left a dozen incapacitated guards and some collateral damage to boot. None of that mattered though, he was searching for something and he was going to find it, even if it meant breaking his own rules. Once again he stood face to face with the entrance to the stairwell. With a swift motion he opened the door and leapt down the stairs. After descending past nearly forty stairs he found the next door. Painted on the front of it was a large red '3' with a few streaks of paint running down past the bottom of the shape, indicating it had been spray painted. As he opened the door the thought dawned on him that the red streaks were somewhat ominous

* * *

"Kids…" Arnold mused to himself, glancing back at Aoko who, given the tremendous stress of the situation had passed out. It was understandable, after all it had been an eventful day for her. Once again he was left to reside in the silence he had become all too accustomed to. His familiar setting was interrupted when the sound of a steel door cracking open reverberated throughout the corridor. Arnold reached his hand out and shook Aoko, who promptly rose from the curled position she had been in

"Huh? What happened?" Arnold said nothing. He simply pointed at the west entrance to the floor which was a good sixty feet away from them. Aoko squinted, unable to completely make out what the figure entering was

"It's him" Arnold spat out, too shocked to say anything more. Aoko looked at him then back to the entrance, where a person clad in white walked toward them, acting as a brilliant juxtaposition to the dank prison they were in. Before Aoko could say a word the youngest girl with them in the cell who allegedly spoke no English whispered

"An angel to save us"

**Chapter 50! Congrats to me, I have so many people to thank : P **

**Really though, those of you who are still stickin' with me, my gratitude goes out to you. I urge you diligent readers to follow this to end which isn't too far off and continue reviewing because**

**after all**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Encouraged**


	51. Unveiled

**Tokyo: 8:25 p.m**

**Panay: 7:25 p.m**

"K-Kaito?" Aoko sputtered out as the white figure became clearer and clearer. Within a few seconds he was standing before her cell with a relieved yet arrogant grin

"My lady, might I escort out of this dreary setting?" he asked in his usual KID guise

"How did you find me?" Aoko inquired, hanging onto the bars of the cell with tears welling up in her eyes

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Aoko blushed at the comment but before she could respond a voice chimed in from behind her

"Excuse me, my name is Arnold Cranston and I'm greatly interested in leaving so if you wouldn't mind opening the door so we can do so…" Kaito took on a serious countenance and nodded, taking no time to question the boy. With a single swing of his arm he revealed two sleek metallic intstruments

"Kaito what are you-"

"Quiet, I need to hear the locking mechanism" with that Aoko and Arnold stepped away from the cell door and Kaito went to work, picking and prying inside the lock

* * *

"What the hell!" the overweight guard exclaimed as his eyes fell on a white figure hunched over a cell door on the third level of the building. The man shuffled around for a few seconds, moving a few scraps of trash off of his desk. In a frenzy he lifted his phone off of its base and dialed one of the speed dials

"What?" Gin growled into his cell phone

"Sir, the Kaito KID, he's on the fourth floor and he's trying to release some of the prisoners"

"What?" Gin roared as he ended the call

"What happened?" Vodka asked, cocking the pistol he had concealed in his jacket

"Kaito KID is on the fourth floor" Gin responded as he started toward the closest stair well on the east wing of the floor

"What about the lackeys we got coming?" Gin stopped at the question and turned his head partially to direct his words at Vodka

"Stay here and wait for them. I'll go take care of KID, you go and hunt down this other intruder" Vodka nodded in acceptance and Gin left him

* * *

"Mouri-san!" Tanaka yelled frantically into the radio headset fashioned on his helmet

"What is it? What's happened?" Kogoro asked, worried by the tone of the commander's voice

"We have visual on two figures, each wearing a lot of black. One is a blonde female, looks to be around thirty the other is an older man with a hat and sunglasses" Kogoro turned around and quickly relayed the information to Jodie, whose pupils dilated in fear. She leapt forward and commandeered Kogoro's radio, lifting it to her mouth

"Tanaka-san that's Vermouth and Korn, two of the highest ranking agents in the syndicate! Be careful, they are extremely dangerous!"

"Hai, we will engage with caution" Jodie returned the radio to Kogoro and went back to her seat, wearing a worried expression. 'Vermouth…' she thought as rage bubbled deep within her

* * *

"So Korn, how about you set up here and I'll go and make contact" Korn nodded and moved off to his left wear a dirt slope caught his eye. He laid himself down on top of it and revealed his rifle which had been strapped to his back. As Korn prepared his weapon Vermouth continued forward. Although she was a few kilometers away from the group of officers she could already identify their numbers

* * *

"Sir" Shouchou's secretary buzzed in, interrupting his admiration of the weapon in his hands

"What" he grumbled, almost threateningly. She hesitated for a second then cleared her throat

"Um Snake is here, he said he asked for him" Shouchou looked at his beloved weapon then sighed and placed it on his desk

"Tell him to come in" Shouchou leaned back in his chair and awaited the entrance of his friend. Within a minute the door opened and in a flood of light Snake appeared

"Konichiwa Shouchou-san" Shouchou nodded to him amicably and held his hand out, offering him a seat. Snake walked forward and lowered himself into the chair that sat in front of Shouchou's desk

"I assume you're aware of the situation" he started in a serious tone

"Hai, I've been kept up to date. What are you planning to do?" Shouchou chuckled to himself and rose from his seat, picking up the spherical object he had recently received in the process

"I have a secret weapon, one that will take us to the forefront of arms trading. With this we will be unrivaled and far outside the reach of any law enforcement agency" Snake laughed along with his friend, but inside he was disturbed by the obsessive gleam in his superior's eyes.

"Can I see it? You know…in action?" he asked, genuinely curious about the item that had apparently engulfed his friend's thoughts. Shouchou grinned maniacally and turned to face Snake

"Of course" he responded, gesturing toward the door. Snake got up and started to walk toward the back of the room. Shouchou's grin grew wider as the distance between himself and Snake increased. It wasn't until he actually put his hand on the door knob that Snake noticed Shouchou had not moved

"What are you doing…" he asked, trailing off as he noticed Shouchou holding a button down on the ball he had been holding with his thumb. In a moment of clarity Snake saw the danger in the situation and reached a hand out toward Shouchou. Before he could even utter a plea to stop Shouchou threw the weapon across the room toward him. An invisible force thrust itself outward from the object, slamming Snake against the door behind him and sending all of the lose papers on Shouchou's desk and around the office into a flurry. The force of the blast was enough to send Shouchou hurdling back as well, however he managed to keep his footing.

"Sir!" his secretary's voice rang out from the intercom "Sir what happened!"

"Everything's fine, send a janitor in to clean this room"

"Hai" Shouchou snickered as his finger slipped off of the intercom. He looked out at the disaster that was now his office, complete with an unconscious Snake. He strode over calmly to the body of his friend. Once he arrived at the black-clad man he knelt beside him and placed two fingers on his neck. After a moment of waiting he pulled back and stood up

"Gomen, old friend. But you should have known I would sacrifice any one person in favor of progress. Sleep in peace and watch from hell as I overtake this whole world"

* * *

"E-Eri-kun, please slow down!" Agasa pleaded from beside her as she raced down the freeway

"We don't have time, who knows what trouble those stupid boys are in already" Agasa chuckled half-heartedly while Ran, Sonoko and Kazuha clung to one another for dear life

"K-Kasan" Ran sputtered out with her eyes clenched shut and her face buried in Kazuha's shoulder

"Relax, we should be at Agasa-san's house in ten minutes at this rate" despite her growing fear that this may be her last car ride, Ran couldn't help but inwardly encourage her mother to go as fast as she could. Shinichi was in danger, and she needed to help him

* * *

"Well, this is the first floor under, do you see anything?" Heiji asked as he and Shinichi scanned the hallway. The only aesthetic feature to note was the lack of interior decoration. The pathway's walls and ceiling were painted gray and burgundy carpeting lied beneath their feet. However one strange aspect of the corridor's décor did strike Shinichi

"Hattori" he said, gaining his attention

"What?"

"Look at these. The walls are lined with curtains. Why would they need curtains if there are no windows?" Heiji shook his head and shrugged

"No idea, seems pretty pointless to me. These guys aren't exactly designers though so maybe it was just preference" Shinichi nodded and let the idea go. He couldn't help but marvel at the sheer length and magnitude of the hallway which seemed to go on for kilometers.

"I think we should move a little more quickly. We don't want to be seen" Heiji nodded in agreement and they picked up their pace to a rushed speedwalk

* * *

'There they are' Yuusaku observed as he came upon a group of six armed men, all dressed in virtually all black. Standing on a chair to elevate himself was a huskier man wearing a hat and dark sunglasses. 'Must be their team leader of sorts'

"Listen up, we are going to hunt for the intruder who, for now we are going to call Night Baron. There will be three teams, one to search each floor. You two" he started, pointing at the two men to his right "you will go to the third floor, you two" he continued, indicating the two men to the left of the first two "you will search floor two. I will take you two and we will check this floor" as Vodka stepped down he was startled when one of the men he had chosen for his own team actually raised his hand to ask a question

"Sir?"

"What is it?" the man seemed nervous but swallowed and proceeded

"It's just…what about the fourth floor" most agents didn't speak of the fourth floor. It was known as the place where the most gruesome acts of the Organization were carried out. No agent wanted to be sent to the fourth floor for any reason

"That's none of your concern, now come on we have work to do" As the teams started split up Yuusaku quickly realized he needed to act.

* * *

"Kaito!" Aoko exclaimed amorously with tears streaming down her face as the lock to her cell clicked open. Kaito hadn't been prepared for her assault when she rammed the cell door open, knocking Kaito onto the floor. Before he could gather himself Aoko had leapt onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him

"Its alright" he whispered in her ear as his left came around her shoulders in an effort to comfort

"I knew you'd come for me" he mumbled into his chest, firmly gripping his tuxedo at the shoulders with both hands

"Come on, we need to get out of here" he said, slipping his hands between hers and his suit. She opened her eyes and looked awestruck as he slipped out of grasp and rose to his feet. Once he was on his feet he offered her a hand up which she gladly accepted.

"As adorable as this is-" Arnold started before being cut off by a violent cough. He bowed his head and coughed toward the floor, sprinkling the concrete floor below with blood

"Oi are you alright?" Kaito asked, seemingly disgusted by the fluid being spewed out by the young man

"I'm…fine. Come on we have to go" he stated, earning nods from Kaito and Aoko. They started to walk off until Arnold noticed the two girls that also inhabited his cell had not moved. He turned around and walked over to them "Come on" he said in English, holding a hand out to them. They both stared at him blankly, not moving a muscle

"Arnold-san come on we have to go!" Aoko pleaded as Kaito dragged her away hurriedly by the hand. Arnold reached his hand desperately toward the two girls, still eliciting no response. He gritted his teeth and turned away, ducking his head and running after the two teenagers

* * *

"You two, go on ahead and check the area" Vodka ordered. The two lackeys nodded and jogged ahead. As the two worked their way down the hall they were suddenly jumped by a cloaked figure

"What the hell!" one of the men yelled as he was overcome by the masked figure. In the turmoil one shot was fired which brought the struggle to a complete halt. With a loud thud Yuusaku hit the floor, falling flat on his face. The two henchmen timidly crawled away from him while Vodka marched forward with an accomplished grin and a smoking gun in hand

"You two, go report this to Gin on the fourth floor" he commanded in an authoritative tone. The two did not question their superior and quickly sprinted toward the end of the hall where the stairwell entrance was located. As the two disappeared Vodka crouched down beside Yuusaku and flipped him over, revealing his masked face "Let's see who you are" he pulled the mask off of his face, revealing a pale and emaciated Kudo Yuusaku

"I was careless…" he mumbled as a stream of blood leaked from his mouth. His shaky hand moved up to his face where he could see the blood dripping from his glove

"So you did all of this just because of your wife, that Kudo Yukiko that Vermouth killed?" he inquired, almost mockingly. Yuusaku grinned and turned to look his assailant in the eyes

"Once she was gone, there wasn't much else for me to live for. She would kill me if I said that to her. She was always so optimistic, seeing the best in everyone and everything. She was the brightness in my life…" Vodka seemed to understand the author's plight on some level evidenced by his serious expression. He nonchalantly brought the barrel of his pistol to Yuusaku's sternum and pressed it there just enough to make him aware of it's presence

"You'll see her in the other world" he muttered as he pulled the trigger, causing Yuusaku to groan out

* * *

"Hattori look!" Shinichi said in a started manner. Heiji looked up forward with squinted eyes and quickly noticed the root of Shinichi's fear

"Do you think they know we're here already?"

"Damnit! We were so careful….okay looked I only have one tranquilizer dart on my watch, so I can only take one of them. If you can keep the other one distracted for a few seconds I can get him with my shoes" Shinichi declared as he wound the power gauge on the side of his left shoe. Heiji hesitated for a moment then, with a sudden air of confidence reached up and pulled down one of the poles that held up the curtains

"This'll do" he said, getting a feel for the three meter long weapon he had just come across

"Hattori don't be stupid they're probably armed" Heiji didn't to take any notice of his friend's warning and started to moved forward at a quickened pace "Hattori!" Shinichi screamed as Heiji left him behind. He breathed in deeply and took off after him with his hand on the trigger of his stun gun

* * *

By this point Vermouth, who had made no effort to hurry was now standing before the assembly of officers with a cocky smirk

"May I ask what you're doing here?" he started arrogantly, serving only to infuriate Tanaka who had a rifle aimed and ready to fire

"Get down on the ground and surrender your weapon!" he exclaimed, having no interest in playing games. Vermouth sighed and shrugged her shoulders

"If you insist" she complied as she tossed her pistol forward into the middle of the task force. As the heads of the officers shifted to follow the airborne firearm and blast went off in the distance and one of the officers feel to the ground with a hole in his chest. Vermouth slowly backed up as a series of shots rang out, taking out officers one by one. Soon the group was down to one and he still had his rifle aimed at Vermouth

"I'll kill you monster!" he screamed as his finger came down onto the trigger. A shot rang out and Tanaka's eyes grew wide as a bullet traveled through his neck. He fell like a bag of cement to ground, landing on his back. Vermouth's countenance was wrought with fear and shock as the hair on the left side of her head fluttered about from the force of the bullet that had narrowly missed her. She gasped, sucking in a few deep breaths and shook her head and pulled her phone up to her ear

"You almost got me killed!" Vermouth roared angrily into the phone

"But you're not are you so can it. Let's get back to _that person_ and tell him we've completed our task"

"No, we should verify Kir has completed her objective as well"

"Fine then let's go"

* * *

"Tanaka-san! Tanaka-san!" Kogoro screamed apprehensively into the radio he was holding. Tanaka had left his radio on throughout the gunfight so Kogoro, Jodie and Megure had been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the shooting to stop. Once silence reigned on the frequency they awaited a response or confirmation for Tanaka, but heard nothing

"Damnit!" Jodie shrieked furiously with her fists clenched at her sides

"Jodie-kun, we need to go help them" Megure declared, rising to his feet

"He's right, if there are any alive we need to find them" Jodie's eyes moved around erratically as she search her mind for an answer. After a few seconds of thought she raised her head and looked at Megure

"Let's go"

* * *

"Agent Camel" a feminine voice said softly from behind him. He turned his head cautiously to find a pistol pointed at his head

"Wait you're-"

"Relax, I'm here to help. Gather your team, we need to rethink our strategy"

**Action Action Action we're chalk full of it right now. Next chapter the conflicts will continue as Kir and Camel mobilize, Shinichi and Heiji take to arms and Kaito, Aoko and Arnold make their escape. **

**But, there's still some life left in the Org so don't count them out yet. After all, Gin is still alive and Shouchou has a superweapon. It's getting good so keep up and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**and so is Reviewing**


	52. A Weapon and a Motive

**Tokyo: 8:35 p.m**

**Panay: 7:35 p.m**

"We're here, so tell us. Why did you bring us back here?" Shiratori asked, still confused by his superior's strange request

**~Flashback~**

"Everyone we're going back for the time being, I'll explain more once we get t o our newly designated position" Camel announced to the members of his invasion team. Sato and Takagi looked at one another puzzled but nonetheless obeyed. As the team began to move away from the exterior of the main base Shiratori jogged up and tapped on Camel's shoulder

"Agent Camel, what's this about?" he inquired, still seeing himself as an authority figure in the operation

"I'll explain to everyone once we reach our destination" he restated calmly, leaving Shiratori irritated and somewhat suspicious of his 'leader'. As Shiratori watched Camel walk off he was suddenly nudged by their team's only female member.

"This is no time for sleeping on the job Shiratori-kun" Shiratori shook his head to gather himself then nodded with a grin, earning a smile back from Sato as she turned back to her fiancé beside her. 'I don't like this…'

**~End Flashback~**

"Uh well there's a…." Camel stuttered nervously, feeling a plethora of curious eyes aimed directly at him

"Because there is a new variable to consider" a female voice chimed in from behind Camel. Camel's eyes widened at the sound but he calmed considerably when her hand lightly touched his shoulder. Needing no further hints Camel sidestepped to the right, allowing the group of officers before him to lay eyes on the woman that had become somewhat of a myth

"M-Mizunashi Rena?"

"No, it's Hondou Hidemi!"

"I thought she died" Hidemi allowed the officers to chatter amongst themselves for a few seconds before she cleared her throat in an effort to gain their attention. The officers soon hushed, staring at the mysterious woman in anticipation

"Right now who I was or where I've been doesn't matter. What matters is that I know the schematic of that building to the pen stroke. I've been undercover with this crime organization on behalf of the F.B.I more some time for this very reason, to assist in it's destruction." While the group of officers picked its jaws up off of the floor Shiratori took a step forward and cleared his throat, all the while looking right at Hidemi

"I have a question" after waiting a moment Hidemi nodded in consent "Why did you bring us back nearly a kilometer just to tell us that. You could have told us that before and saved us the time of walking here" Hidemi grinned knowingly and walked toward Shiratori. Once within less than a meter she stopped and looked off into the distance

"Because you were all about to die"

* * *

"Kaito we have to slow down, Arnold-san can't keep up" Aoko pleaded, feeling a great deal of sympathy for the seemingly young man whose shirt was now stained with the blood of with repeated convulsions

"Aoko we can't, do you not understand where we are? If they catch us…they can't catch us" Suddenly Kaito felt a strong force pull his hand, causing him to twirl around and nearly fall over "What the-"

"Are you saying that he's not worth saving…" Aoko trailed off his tears in her eyes. Kaito took a moment to piece together that it was Aoko, whose hand was wrapped in his, that had stopped his forward progress

"Aoko…"

"Didn't you always say that it was your policy never to hurt people at your heists?" Kaito sighed and pulled Aoko toward him, taking on a sincere expression

"Damnit Aoko this is different!"

"How? Leaving him to die is the same as killing him!" Her fiery burst of anger echoed through the halls of the floor they were still on. They had already slowed down somewhat to accommodate the sickly young prisoner, but now he was hardly able to jog

"I would rather him die than you!" Kaito roared in a fit of rage, completely silencing Aoko. Rarely did Kaito ever reach an emotional level beyond calm, so to see him practically red-faced in fury was completely foreign

"Kaito…" As Aoko searched for a response a subtle creek echoed throughout the corridor. Kaito's countenance instantly simmered as he scanned the area to locate the cause of the ominous noise. Suddenly terror caused his pupils to dilate and he gripped Aoko's wrists with authority

"We need to run, now" he whispered as he turned to sprint away. Aoko felt her body jerk forward as the Kaito got up to speed

"Kaito what's going on? What about Arnold-san!" Kaito shrugged off her queries, focusing only on moving as fast as he could in the opposite direction of the man that had instantly struck fear into his heart 'It's one of _them_, I know it'

* * *

Kaito was not the only person in the area that noticed the new presence however. Arnold, who had been struggling to move forward had come to a complete halt, falling face first onto the cold floor. As his face hit the ground he coughed harder than he had previously, spilling blood around his own face.

"This is how it ends huh…" he mumbled to himself, watching the blood around his mouth move. He chuckled at the irony as the footsteps he would normally dread moved closer. He could hear the shoes' heels click down with every step and it only served to amuse him further. By the time the black clad man finally reached him Arnold was nearly in stitches. Feeling a sudden burst of strength Arnold flipped himself over, falling flat on his back with his arms sprawled out at each side. He gazed deeply into the eyes of the man he had seen many times. His cold eyes that exuded no guilt or remorse, no sympathy or even the remote presence of indecision.

"Rats shouldn't leave their cages" Gin stated with a maniacal grin

"And yet, here you are to free me" Arnold fired back with a cocky smirk as Gin lowered the barrel of his gun and pointed it at the bridge of Arnold's nose. Arnold proceeded to laugh hysterically in Gin's face until he finally squeezed off a shot, blasting the center of Arnold face into a cloud of blood, bone and cartilage. Somewhere else in that same hallway a young girl shed a tear for a fallen friend

* * *

"Kudo we have to go!" Heiji screamed as Shinichi stared blankly into his father's eyes

**~Flashback~**

As Heiji ran forward with his makeshift weapon in hand he noticed something 'they aren't running at us, they're running past us'. Heiji turned and shot a look back at Shinichi, who seemed to have already come to the same conclusion. In a rash move they both stopped and turned to face the wall closest to them. A bullet of sweat shot down Heiji face as the hurried footsteps of the two henchmen sprinted past them. Once the sound began to disappear they turned to face each other and let out a heavy sigh

"Come on" Shinichi stated, earning a nod from Heiji. They had only jogged a short distance before they noticed a figure lying on its back. As they drew closer it became apparent that the figure was surrounded with blood and it was most likely dead. When they finally reached the caped man Shinichi nearly toppled over

"Kudo what's wrong?" Heiji asked, trailing a few meters behind him. When he reached Shinichi's side and laid eyes on the man in question, his features instantly sagged and he reached out to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder

"Tosan…." He mumbled, falling to his knees in front of the seemingly lifeless figure

"Shinichi…" Yuusaku whispered, opening one eye while squinting the other in pain

"Tosan! What happened?" he asked with his hands shaking

"I tried to avenge your mother, Shinichi. They killed you mother…" he forced out, gasping for air after he finished speaking.

"Tosan' what are you talking about!" Shinichi inquired frantically, grasping the front of his father's shirt with was completely saturated with blood and sweat

"Gomen…Shinichi….when it happened you were still unconscious. I didn't want you to hear from anyone else" Shinichi's frenzied expression melted into one of complete despair.

"Shinichi…" Yuusaku choked out, reaching for his son's elbow. Once he had a shaky grasp on it he continued "Your mother and I…we loved you more than anything." Shinichi eyes clasped shut as he ducked his head away from his father, trying to conceal the tears he sensed slowly building in his eyes

"Tosan'…" he choked out in a muffled tone, completely lost for words

"Do you remember what you told me when I asked you to move with us back to the states? You said there was a 'reason' you had to stay" Shinichi took a deep breath and turned back to face his father "Well that reason, Shinichi, is the same reason you have to keep going now. You've come so far…it's your case to solve, it's your war to win." Before Shinichi could respond Yuusaku's eyes flickered and he released one last strong breath

**~End Flashback~**

Heiji couldn't help but feel guilty after yelling at his friend to move. The reality was they were in a hostile environment and they couldn't afford to get caught sitting still. However the tragedy that had just befallen Shinichi was immeasurable so it was to be expected that he would need some time to recover his thoughts.

"Let's go" Shinichi stated calmly as he rose from his knees

"Kudo…"

"If we stay here we're going to get caught now come on" Heiji chose not to question his friend's newfound determination and instead simply followed him to the staircase in front of them

* * *

"What do you mean 'we were all about to die'?" Shiratori asked, still suspicious of their alleged comrade

"The entrance you were about to go running into has a remote lock feature that can be activated from the main control tower" Shiratori looked at her in disbelief

"So you mean that room is just like a rat trap?" Takagi asked from behind his superior officer

"Precisely. You would have been trapped with no possible exit. I know where all of these false entrances are located, so I can get us past them all" Camel walked up to her side

"I'll tell Jodie-san and then we can move" as he reached for his radio Hidemi's hand caught his wrist

"We can't tell Agent Starling, if we do she might try to intervene. If this invasion is going to be successful we have to be stealthy" Camel looked down at his radio for a few seconds before letting out a sighing and nodding in consent. Camel raised his head and turned to address the group of officers

"We're moving out"

* * *

"Jodie-kun you need to calm down, it could just be a communication malfunction" Megure said reassuringly to the anxiety stricken F.B.I agent

"No, we already lost communication with Tanaka-san, we can't afford to lose Camel-san too. We need to hurry, Tanaka-san's location is about two kilometers from here" she declared, slamming her foot down onto the gas pedal, causing Megure and Kogoro's eyes to widen in fear

"So Akai-kun, do you think Jodie-kun is still waiting?" Akai chuckled at the question and shot James a quick glance

"Not unless both her legs are broken" James grinned at the response, but deep down he didn't like the prospect of Jodie making decisions without his consent, or at least his knowledge. Akai noticed the change in his superior's expression "Are you worried?" he asked nonchalantly, already knowing the answer

"She's always been loyal and obedient, but this is different, this is personal. I can't predict how she will handle this" Akai maintained his cool demeanor but understood James' plight

"We should be there in no more than forty five minutes. Until then you should try to relax" James nodded and took a deep breath, trying his best to calm the tension in his chest

* * *

"You can't run for long Kaito KID. When I find you I'm going to splash crimson all over that white suit" Gin threatened to the halls, knowing full well KID was hiding somewhere. These threats did not go unheard by Kaito and Aoko, who were snuggly hidden in the air duct that ran along the ceiling. As Gin passed under them Kaito could feel Aoko shaking beside him. Although she hadn't seen Arnold die she had heard the shot and she knew he was dead

"Kaito…" she whispered, pushing her head into Kaito's shoulder, grasping the fabric on his right sleeve. Kaito promptly placed his left hand over her mouth to silence. Unfortunately her subtle noise had been enough to prick one of Gin's ears up and he fired three shots into the duct. The first two were completely off to either side of them but the third managed to managed to graze Kaito's left shoulder. Aoko had her eyes pinned shut and her head dug into Kaito's shoulder so she was unaware of his injury. Kaito gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound but his efforts were nullified when a single drop of blood fell from his arm and dripped through the vent they had been looking through. Time seemed to slow as the small speck of burgundy liquid fell toward the ground. In an instant the drop hit the ground in front of Gin, Gin turned to fire in the direction of the droplet

"Jump!" Kaito screamed, kicking the vent out from under him. As he fell through the hole Kaito scattered three smoke bombs across the area, clouding virtually the entire corridor in multicolored smoke

"Damn!" Gin grunted, firing bullets in every possible direction. Once Kaito hit the floor he held his arms out and awaited Aoko's descent. After almost no wait time Kaito felt her petite body fall into his arms and he sprinted off through the smoke

* * *

"So Kir still isn't answering hm?" Korn asked, seemingly indifferent toward the idea

"No. Regardless we should go inside, standing out here is dangerous especially if these guys are expecting reinforcements" Korn nodded in consent and the two started toward the entryway of the base. They stopped however when the sound of tires screeching graced their ears

"What the hell?" Korn commented, annoyed by the prospect of more work. Vermouth could only smile as her eyes fell on the buxom blonde in the driver's seat of the van

* * *

"Okay, we're here Hakase so what did you want to give us?" Ran asked impatiently

"These" Agase said, opening up a closet in his lab. The mouths of the girls opened wide as they laid eyes on the shelves which were stocked with various, seemingly average objects

"I don't get it. It's just some household junk" Agasa chuckled jovially at the naivety of the girls

"These shoes" he said, hold them in front of Ran "are for you. I had to alter the original design to increase the power output, but these should serve you well" Ran looked confused but after a gesture from the old professor she slipped her shoes off and put the red sneakers on

"What do I-"

"Kick that wall" Agasa said matter-of-factly. Ran sent him a quizzical look but he smiled and nodded, assuring her it was alright. Ran turned to the walls and took a deep breath. The she let out a war cry and laid her foot into the concrete wall which burst into dust as if it were nothing more than a dirt clod.

"That's amazing!" Kazuha exclaimed, as Ran turned to face the group once again

"The shoe is designed not only to exert eight times the force of your normal kick, but it minimizes the amount of return force" Ran nodded in thanks as Agasa turned to Kazuha

"Huh?" Kazuha pointed herself, not expecting to receive anything

"These" Agasa retrieved a pair of sleek black forearm guards "are for you." Kazuha accepted the equipment and started to put them on "They're specially designed to absorb force ten times that of a 9" pistol round. In addition they are hard enough to be used as weapons as well" Kazuha's lips curved into a violent grin and she turned toward the wall Ran had destroyed. She reared her right arm back and threw and uppercut at the hole in the wall, allowing the guard to make contact. At first there was no movement, then a small crack worked its way up the wall. It snaked its way almost a three meters up the wall before stopping.

"Run!" Eri screamed as the group jumped toward the door. They all stood and watched as a 5'x5' section of the wall came cascading downward, crushing the cabinet they had all been standing in front of. Once the dust settled Sonoko, Ran, Eri and Agasa all glared at Kazuha. She chuckled nervously

"Gomenesai…" Agasa shook his head and shrugged

"Well I'm afraid the other equipment I had to give you was destroyed" Eri shook her hands

"It's okay, we need to go anyway" Sonoko nodded in agreement

"We'll just drive the getaway car" she laughed and with that the four went running out the door toward the car. As the arrived at the vehicle Ran put her hand on the door and looked back at Sonoko

"Sonoko…" Sonoko looked at Ran confused, but after a moment of silence Sonoko knew what Ran was communicating. Without a word Sonoko wrapped her arms around her best friend

"You better come back, you have a date tomorrow" she said into her ear with a tear rolling down her cheek

"I'll be fine" Ran reassured her. With that Sonoko took a step back and watched as the three women drove off

**Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, I just moved so it's been hectic. that aside, here it is, And I'm happy to say we've reached 8,000 hits. Next on the list is the 100 review mark. **

**I'm looking forward to finishing this story, so those of you sticking with me keep it up, it's nearing the final curtain and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is...look just do it okay?**


	53. Senseless

**Tokyo: 8:45**

**Panay: 7:45**

"Vermouth" Korn started with an edge on his tongue "let's go" Vermouth snickered and raised a disobedient hand to Korn's face

"You go, I want to see my old friend" Korn, feeling no particular attachment to Vermouth simply shrugged and preceded to enter the compound, leaving Vermouth outside to stare down the three law enforcers exiting the vehicle. Without missing a beat Jodie had her pistol out and aimed at Vermouth's head. The headlights from the car remained on, illuminating Vermouth's virtually infallible features

"Hands up!" she barked, cocking her gun. Vermouth only grinned and readjusted her posture, crossing her arms in front of her chest

"This is how you greet me after so long apart?" she asked her in a conniving manner, trying to goad a response from her

"Jodie-kun is this-"

"Hai, this is the illustrious murderer Vermouth" Vermouth arrogantly waved a hand in front her and smiled

"You flatter me"

"Shut up and let me see your hands" Jodie demanded without even a trace of amusement on her face. Kogoro, who had been in the back seat finally maneuvered his way out of the two-door vehicle and stood next to Megure

"Oh! She's almost as cute as Yoko-chan!" he bellowed out, causing Megure to understandably smack his own forehead

"Mouri-kun, that woman is an internationally wanted murderer" Kogoro swallowed hard and took a step back

"R-Really?" he sputtered out, terror painted on his features

"That's right cutie" Vermouth responded with a wink

"Last warning, put your hands over your head or I **will** shoot" Vermouth's expression did not falter at Jodie command. Instead she started to walk toward the trio, still grinning pompously

"But if you kill me" she started as Megure drew his sidearm and pointed at her to accompany the F.B.I agent "how will you get into the base?" Jodie's determination faltered for a second and Vermouth leapt forward, taking hold of the barrel of Jodie's pistol

"Jodie-kun!" Megure exclaimed, cocking his own gun

"Wait!" Jodie shot back, causing both Kogoro and Megure to flinch. Jodie's eyes then returned to Vermouth who seemed satisfied with her reaction "What the hell are you talking about?" Vermouth sarcastically took on a shocked expression

"You really want my help?" she asked in an exaggerated manner

"Give me a reason not have my associate over blow your head off" the two blondes locked eyes and the intensity of their interaction could be felt by the two spectators

"I can get you inside" Vermouth finally said without even a twitch, Jodie stared her down for a moment before responding

"Why should we trust you?" Vermouth released the barrel of Jodie's gun and took a step back

"Let me tell you my plan"

* * *

"Kudo where the hell are we goin'?" Heiji asked as the teen flew down the stairwell in at a frenzied pace

"Whoever killed my dad couldn't have gotten far" he replied as he threw open a door that led into the second floor under. Shinichi only glanced around before slipping back out the door and starting his descent to next floor. Before he could get down the third stair Heiji's hands slammed down onto his shoulder, effectively stopping him. Shinichi turned around angrily and glared at Heiji

"Kudo, you're not thinkin'. We need to check that floor, who knows what's in there. If we miss something here we're dead" Shinichi took a deep breath and ran his palm over his sweat beaded brow

"You're right" he stated concisely, turning back and reopening the door he had only glanced in before

* * *

After over a minute of debilitation by smoke Gin had finally started to pursue Kaito KID again. He couldn't help but feel a degree of rage as the veins snaked their way up his neck. It wasn't often Gin's cunning and prowess were genuinely challenged, and the thought of being beaten by such a flamboyant character didn't help as he trudged down the corridor

"Where are you KID!" he roared, his voice echoing through the hallway. Just as the echoes of his loud query dissipated he felt a vibration in his pocket. In a fit of rage he lifted the phone from his pocket and threw against the concrete wall at his right, shattering it to pieces

* * *

"Damn!" the security guard exclaimed as the line went dead. The overweight guard was already in a frenzy after seeing one of the Organization's most loyal members walk away with three law enforcement agents. "I need to tell someone!" he decided, rising from his seat. Sweat dripped down from his bangs as he moved, and even more so as he rushed out the door. He hadn't made it twenty meters when he came face to face with two teenage boys "What are you doing here?" he asked them, trying to sound authoritative. Shinichi and Heiji looked at each other then with a grin Shinichi flicked up the crosshair on his wrist watch

"Nothing" he replied curtly before shooting a dart into his neck. The man tumbled around for a moment but stayed on his feet

"What the hell!" Heiji yelled in a mixture of fear and confusion

"Of course, he's too rotund. Due to his body weight the tranquilizer wasn't able to concentrate into his blood stream and render him unconscious" Shinichi deduced in a level tone

"What thehelldya doto me?" he slurred, still struggling to stay on his feet. In a rash move Heiji leapt forward and punched the man square in the face, sending him tumbling backward and eventually to the floor

"Hattori!"

"I had to do somethin!" he shot back, causing Shinichi to roll his eyes

"Come on" Shinichi said, walking over the body. Heiji took one last look at the incapacitated guard then followed his partner

* * *

"This is it" Hidemi stated, pointing to a steel door, painted over in black except for the knob which remained silver

"What now?" Camel asked, representing the sea of curious gazes behind him

"We have to move stealthily. If they sense something's wrong they will evacuate and then we'll be back to square one" Camel nodded then turned around to face the group of officers behind him

"Listen, we're going to enter the building. I want you in two rows, one left one right. Left row will be Sato and Takagi, right will be Shiratori and Chiba. Do not fire unless absolutely necessary, we have to remain hidden as long as possible" the group nodded and with that Hidemi pushed the door open while withdrawing her own gun from the holster on her thigh

* * *

"Why the hell isn't he answering?" Vodka grumbled to himself as he clamped his phone shut. He shook his head as he entered the fourth floor down. His eyebrow quirked when he laid eyes on his partner who looked completely out of sorts

"Gin" he called out, trying to get his attention

"Vodka! Stay there. The KID is in here" Vodka looked at him puzzled but took him at his word and withdrew his pistol

* * *

"Damnit!" Kaito swore. In a split second decision Kaito had decided to reenter the air duct, in hopes that Gin would leave the room to pursue him. However this man wasn't the most feared man in the syndicate for no reason

"Kaito" Aoko whispered at a hardly audible volume. Kaito turned to her but said nothing. Instead he pointed to his right and nodded reassuringly. Aoko understood and began to slowly crawl through the duct. Kaito followed her, careful not to make even the slightest noise. He felt a bit of relief when Aoko's progress led her out of the hall, however it was mixed with fear because the duct was pitch black in front of them. He could sense Aoko's fear of moving forward and he moved to remedy the situation. Gently he placed a gloved hand on the small of her back which made her jump just slightly. She turned her head to look at him but her mouth was quickly covered by the hand which had caught her attention initially

"Shh" he said with his index finger over his lips. Aoko nodded and with that Kaito began to turn himself over onto his back. Aoko was desperately confused but nonetheless remained silent. Once Kaito was lying flat on his back he began to slowly inch himself forward. Aoko blushed as his head went between her knees. Before she could voice this however Kaito carefully grabbed each of her thighs and pulled them backward, dragging them across his chest. At this point Aoko was far beyond confused but she had decided long ago that the best she could do was trust in his judgment so she allowed him to move her. A few seconds later her legs were fully on top of him and his nose was buried in her naval.

"K-Kaito" Aoko's blush was now a full on inferno but she struggled valiantly to rid herself of these thoughts seeing as the situation was deathly serious. Kaito grinned as he pulled himself forward, slipping under Aoko's torso. Within seconds he and Aoko were eye to eye, their faces mere centimeters apart. After a few seconds of amorous staring Kaito dragged himself forward the rest of the way while Aoko moved herself backward and onto her hands and knees once again. After a couple seconds of position adjustment Kaito was back on his hands and knees as well and with a small gesture to Aoko they began to move forward into the dark duct

* * *

"Ready?" Vermouth asked, still amazed at her handiwork. Jodie had been completely done over to look like Vermouth herself, which wasn't terribly difficult considering there aesthetic similarity.

"Let's go" Jodie responded, snapping a pair of handcuffs onto Vermouth's wrists. Jodie then roughly yanked Vermouth up by the hair, causing Vermouth to gasp slightly

"Now now don't get too into character" Jodie's expression did not change as she pushed Vermouth forward toward the entry gate of the compound. About half a kilometer away Megure and Kogoro were submerged in a bush with a pair of binoculars, observing the progress of the plan

"What's this?" Jodie asked, looking around at the incapacitated guards strewn about the entrance of the base

"Doesn't matter, that just saves us a little trouble" Jodie nodded and she pushed the disguised Vermouth forward through the entrance

* * *

"Gin?" Vodka questioned as his partner stood completely still, trying to sense even the slightest movement

"What" Gin responded angrily, annoyed with the disturbance

"Are you sure KID didn't get out the door?" Vodka almost flinched as he asked the question, but nevertheless he felt obligated to ask it

"If that were true, wouldn't he have run into you?" Vodka thought about the idea for a moment

"What if he went the other way, down the hall to the other stairway?" a grin splayed over Gin's features and his mouth twitched. Instead of responding immediately he strode over to Vodka, bringing himself within just a meter

"So you think he ran right past me?" a streak of sweat ran down the side of Vodka's head as he mulled possible ways to answer the seemingly impossible question. After a lapse of silence Gin finally turned around and faced the direction in question "At any rate, we should go check" Gin conceded, indirectly admitting his possible error. Vodka let out a relieved sigh as Gin marched off before walking over to catch up with him

**Shorter chapter, but things are still tense. Just passed 150,000 words, so woot for me. The story is coming to a head, the climax is near so remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**It would be in your best interest to review as well**


	54. Cutting it Close

**Tokyo: 8:50**

**Panay: 7:50**

Hidemi clicked on a flashlight and held it in her left arm, resting her right forearm atop it with her gun pointed forward. After taking in a full view of her surroundings she motioned for the others to follow her. Camel was the first to enter followed by the four Beika police officers, who all wore the same hardened expression.

"Camel-san, do you see the door ahead of us?" Hidemi whispered, pointing her flashlight at a steel door ten meters ahead of them. She turned to receive his nonverbal answer and he nodded "Go ahead and enter through it, I'll cover you"

"Hai" and with that Camel proceeded forward. As he drew closer to the door Hidemi turned to her subordinates and motioned for Sato and Takagi to move forward to her left. They both nodded and moved, bringing themselves to her direct left

"When he opens the door and gives us the okay, I want you two to follow him in. We'll come in after you" Takagi nodded but Sato seemed confused

"Why would we change our strategy now?" Sato asked, seemingly genuinely concerned with the prospects of such a risky venture

"Trust me, this is in everyone's best interest" Sato nodded but still wore an expression of puzzlement and scrutiny

* * *

"Kudo look at this" Heiji said in with a hint of excitement in his voice

"What?" Shinichi turned, his interest having been peaked by the inflection in his counterpart's voice

"That guy we took down, turns out he was a security guard. These are all security video feeds" Shinichi looked at the wall of screens with a superb grin on his face

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to one of the screens. Heiji turned his head to investigate the cause of his outburst

"Isn't that-"

"Gin and Vodka." Shinichi spat out. Heiji remained silent for a moment, feeling no need or desire to analyze his friend's thoughts

"If the duct tape under the screen is correct, he's on the fourth floor down but it looks like he's on the move" Shinichi rubs his chin for a second as he looked around at all the screens in front of him

"It looks as if the fourth floor is the lowest level of the compound. If we move now we should be able to cut him off in the stairwell" he deduced, moving to leave. Before he could make it out the door Heiji jumped out of the chair had been sitting in and ran in front of him, impeding his progress

"Kudo, that's a stupid plan. What the hell do you expect to do once we see him?" he asked, knowing full well Shinichi hadn't thought that far ahead. He was out of sorts and Heiji knew it

"I…" Shinichi seemed disturbed by the fact that he had no answer

"There's only one way we're going to be able to take these guys, and that's if we outsmart them. We have no real weapons plus we're here to arrest them and I guarantee a fight with them would be to the death" Shinichi conceded with a nod, allowing himself to fall against the wall behind him

"Let's think then"

* * *

"Is it usually like this?" Jodie asked, still walking behind the disguised Vermouth with one hand on her cuffs and the other on her shoulder

"No, this is strange there usually there are guards everywhere especially on the entry level of the complex" Vermouth continued to observe her surroundings with a feeling of concern, something she undoubtedly shared with Jodie

"Where now" Jodie barked as the two arrived at the front desk, used aesthetically to turn aware unknowing visitors

"Behind the desk there's a map of the whole building" Without responding Jodie released Vermouth and reached over the desk, finding a laminated piece of paper. Without a verbal exchange Jodie held the map in front of Vermouth, who analyzed it carefully for a view seconds

"Well?" Vermouth turned her head to look at Jodie

"If we go to the far end of this hallway there should be a stairwell. We go down one floor and his office should be there" Jodie nodded and they started to move

* * *

"Gin" Vodka said to get the attention of his partner, who seemed to be slightly outside his usual frame of mind

"What" he responded hurriedly as he opened the door to the third floor of the building and began to inspect the area

"Does _he_ know that KID is here?" Gin stopped in his tracks and turned to face Vodka

"We'll see _him_ once we have KID in our hands" Gin said in a cold tone. He and Vodka looked at one another for a moment before they continued their search

* * *

"Kaito where are we going?" Aoko asked quietly

"This duct should lead to-" Kaito stopped mid-sentence as his head lightly smacked against a wall of thin metal. Aoko, be ill-prepared for the stopped bumped into Kaito butt, pushing Kaito's forehead against the wall again "Baka!" Kaito exclaimed in a relatively hushed voice

"Gomen gomen, but Kaito why did you stop?" Kaito chuckled slightly as his hands ran up the alleged wall

"I found our way out"

* * *

'Shinichi…' Ran thought longingly as her mother drove at a frenzied pace toward the airport. Eri managed to steal a glance at her daughter who had never been great at masking her emotions

"Ran, what's wrong?" she asked gently, despite the aggressive manner with which she was navigating her way through the dense freeway traffic

"I'm just…worried" Eri smiled at her child's seemingly ridiculous fears

"Ran, you've witnessed Shinichi-kun do amazing things. He's solved cases, saved lives including yours all while pursuing a syndicate of dangerous criminals and remaining undercover" Ran knew where her mother was going but remained silent as she recalled all of Shinichi's amazing feats "You just need to have faith in him"

"But 'kasan it's like you said, these people are dangerous and they want to k-kill him. I can't help but worry about him" Eri continued to smile at the genuine concern in her daughter's features. After a minute or so of silence she changed her voice's tone to a lighter one and started

"So I heard Shinichi-kun is taking you to dinner tomorrow"

* * *

"There" Hidemi said to the two agents to her left as Camel waved his hand at them, giving them the 'O.K' to move forward. Without hesitation Sato and Takagi moved ahead, much to Camel's surprise. He didn't take much time to process the change however as he turned back to the room he had entered and started to move forward. Soon Camel, Sato and Takagi were all in the new room together and Sato and Takagi were now wielding flashlights

"Ready" Hidemi said to the two men behind her. Shiratori and Chiba nodded and with that Hidemi moved forward toward the door. She paused for a few seconds at the threshold cautiously

"Hidemi-san?" Shiratori asked from behind her. Hidemi shook her head and walked into the room, leaving Shiratori once again feeling a twinge of concern in regards to Hondou Hidemi

"Now what?" Camel asked, sensing Hidemi approaching him. Hidemi took a second to look around the room, noticing only one door excluding the one they had just entered through

"We keep going, but be on your guard we don't want to walk into a trap or an ambush" Camel nodded and in the same formation they had used before they entered the next room

* * *

"Ready?" Shinichi asked Heiji, who gave him a confident nod. The two had decided that given the direction Gin and Vodka seemed to be going, they could easily sneak up behind them if they timed it correctly. After waiting for the appropriate time the two made their way to the stairwell entrance that Gin and Vodka had used. Now the two were in the stairwell making their way down. After a fast paced descent they found themselves in front of the door that led to the third story of the building. With a deep breath Shinichi turned the knob and pushed the door opening, making sure to be discrete about his entrance. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine 'Gin…..'

"Kudo?" Heiji whispered as he stared down at his dumbfounded friend who has still frozen in the doorway. Heiji voice seemed to pull Shinichi about of his thoughts and he promptly went forward, followed closely by Heiji. As he entered the room he saw what had made his friend stop in his tracks 'So that's him' Heiji thought, taking into perspective all of the trials his friend had endured because of him 'That's Gin'

* * *

"Eh?" Ran questioned, almost leaping out of her seat "H-h-how did you know about that?" Ran asked, in absolute amazement

"Well"

**~Flashback~**

"What did you do to her Kudo!" Kogoro asked, leaping up in his chair when Shinichi appeared with an unconscious Ran in his arms

"Don't worry, she just fell asleep" Shinichi said laughing internally as he recalled the exact way she had fallen asleep

"Would you calm down dear, he's not hurting her" Eri scolded, grabbing Kogoro's sleeve and yanking him back down into his chair. Kogoro growled at his wife who wore an amused grin

"Stupid punk brat bastard…" Kogoro continued to mutter obscenities as he relaxed and fell asleep. Eri giggled at her husband and leaned her head back onto his shoulder. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Shinichi gently placed Ran the chair to Kazuha's right, seeing as the one to her left was consumed by her head

"I take it you couldn't carry both her and the food?" Eri asked lightly, causing Shinichi to grin

"I tried but after a few steps I realized there was no chance I would make it up a flight of stairs with everything" Eri looked over at her husband then back to Shinichi

"I think he'll be alright, and I will too." Shinichi sent her a smile of appreciation for her understanding then continued adjusted Ran body to fit comfortably in the chair. Once he was satisfied he stood up stared at her sleeping form "I always knew" Eri said under her breath, causing Shinichi to turn his head

"Hm?" a soft smile played on her lips as she initiated eye contact with the teenager

"I knew you two would end up together. Your mother and I used to always talk about your wedding and our grandchildren" Shinichi's cheeks tinted pink as he waved his hands in front of his chest frantically

"It's not like that!" Eri only chuckled at his denial

"So you don't return her feelings?" Eri asked suggestively, staring right at Shinichi with unrelenting eyes. Shinichi opened his mouth to reply then turned to the girl sleeping in front of him. He couldn't help but reacknowledge her beauty, as he had dozens of times in the past. After a few seconds of thought he turned back to Eri but avoided her eyes

"Monday, I was going to take her back to the Beika Observatory Restaurant and…"

**~End Flashback~**

"Wait kasan what happened?" Ran asked, nearly screaming

"That was it, when I asked what he planned to do he said he was tired and went to sleep" Ran slumped down in her seat, torn between feelings of confusion, anticipation and annoyance. As her daughter fell silent Eri grinned, remembering the details of her conversion with Shinichi which she chose to omit

**~Flashback~**

"Propose?" Eri chimed back, nearly knocking Shinichi off of his feet

"How did you…" Eri looked away from the now fidgeting young man

"When Ran told me about the last time you took her there, she told me you had 'something' you kept wanting say but couldn't because you were too nervous. Then she told me a waitress told her that a 'legendary proposal' occurred there and that it was a detective who proposed. Of course I remembered the place where you father proposed to Yukiko-chan and from that I concluded that was what you had planned to do" Shinichi blushed hard and thanked his lucky stars that Ran hadn't inherited her mother's deductive reasoning, otherwise he'd have been found out a lot sooner

"Is…it okay?" Shinichi asked timidly, scratching the back of his neck, one of his telltale nervous habits. Eri felt her husband shift against her head, it was as if he could sense the topic of marriage being discussed

"If she accepts, what place do we have to refuse? Although convincing him of that may be troublesome" Shinichi nodded as Eri motioned toward her husband who was fast asleep with an unintelligible expression on his face and a faint line of drool on his jaw

**~End Flashback~ **

'I hope you make it back for your dinner, Shinichi-kun'

* * *

"Kaito what are you doing?" Aoko asked as Kaito started to rise to his feet

"This air duct leads up. That's where we have to go" Although it wasn't visible in the dark Aoko was staring at Kaito's leg with a look of annoyance

"Do you expect us to just climb up?" Aoko asked irately, earning no immediate verbal response from Kaito. Instead he lowered himself down and took her hand

"Stand up" he said concisely, leaving no room for argument. She nodded and complied, allowing his hand to lead her upward. She stood up slowly and cautiously, making sure not to hit her head. Once she was on her feet she realized that their upper halves were inside the narrow vertical duct, and that they were only centimeters from one another. For the second time since they had entered that duct Aoko's cheeks were bright red

"K-kaito…" she trailed off as he placed an arm around her shoulders

"Hang on" he ordered, and she obliged him, wrapping both of her arms snuggly around his torso. Despite the tight space Kaito managed to reached for his grappling gun and point it upward. He angled it slightly, aiming for the fan positioned at the top of the duct to his right

"What are you-" her question was left half completed as Kaito fired the hook end of his firearm up, stinging both of their ears with its blast. After a second of waiting the hook latched onto the fan as Kaito had predicted and abruptly the two teenagers were shot up toward the ceiling. In one fell swoop the two were thrown to the right of the duct, where their heads came within a few centimeters of the fan

"Too close…." Kaito muttered to himself, still squeezing Aoko as if his life depended on it. Aoko's eyes were open but her face was still buried in his chest and her arms were still around him. They both opened their mouths to speak when they noticed something that silenced them both: moonlight, streaming through the window behind the fan. It was accompanied by a cool breeze that smelled of the ocean and left them both with goosebumps. They were both entranced until reality rushed back into the forefront of their minds and simultaneously they separated

"Kaito"

"Come on, let's go. We're almost out of this"

* * *

"Gin"

"I heard it. He's still in the ducts, that way" Vodka nodded and the two of them started off in a sprint toward the stairwell on the opposite side of the hall. Their hasty departure left them unaware of the two teenagers trailing them

**I know it's been a while but you know, school is a drag. Anywho, I'm gonna try to finish this off as soon as possible so stay tuned and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Appreciated**


	55. Funny Seeing You Here

**Tokyo: 9:00**

**Panay: 8:00 **

"Where are they going?" Heiji asked out loud, seemingly rhetorically

"I don't know, but they're in a hurry so it has to be important. Come on" Shinichi said as he rose from his position inside the doorway and started down the hall

"K-Kudo!" Heiji whispered with annoyance in his voice. After realizing Shinichi wasn't going to stop he shook his head and went to catch up

* * *

"Aoko we need to hurry, if that guy is still after he's going to be coming this way" Kaito barked, grabbing her by the hand. He was surprised however when she resisted his pull

"Kaito"

"What are you doing, if we don't hurry we're going to be caught…" Kaito trailed off when he looked back and saw Aoko was pointing at the fan beside them. Kaito sent her a confused glance at first until he realized what she was referring to. 'The fan, it's spinning slow enough that maybe…'

"If we can get past the fan the only thing keeping us here is that window, which has a latch" Kaito nodded with a grin

"Have I ever told you you're a genius?" he asked jokingly. Before she could respond he pecked her lightly on the cheek and rose to his knees facing the fan 'but how…' he meditated on the items he knew were in his possession. After a few seconds of thought he turned back to the girl behind him "Aoko give me one of your shoes"

* * *

"Where the hell did it come from?" Vodka asked as he and Gin he reached the stairwell and began to ascend

"If he's trying to escape he's going toward the entry level. Since he claims to never carry a gun, what he fired was probably a grappling hook, which means he's probably already made it there" Vodka saw no flaw in his partner's logic, and simply picked up his pace as the two made their way to the entry level

* * *

"So these are the stairs?" Jodie asked with still evident spite in her tone

"Mhm, but you know it's going to be difficult for me to walk down the stairs with these handcuffs on" she replied with a smirk. Jodie saw no amusement in the comment, choosing not to acknowledge her

"Come on" she ordered, opening the door. Vermouth complied and walked through the door, only to be brought face to face with one of the only people in the world she feared: Gin

"Vermouth what the hell are you doing?" Gin growled angrily, with his finger already resting on the trigger of his pistol

"Tell him why we're here, Jodie-kun" Jodie said, trying her best to imitate Vermouth's voice and attitude. Vermouth, playing the character, simply darted her head away from Gin with an irritated expression. After letting out a laugh Jodie as Vermouth looked back to Gin "I caught her outside the premises. I thought someone as famous as Jodie Starling might deserve an audience with _him_.

"Hn" Gin grunted, uninterested in her words. Without another utterance Gin shoved both Jodie and Vermouth aside and ran out the door, followed closely by Vodka. Once the door closed the two ladies let out a relieved sigh and continued down the stairs. They only got halfway down the flight however before the door to the third floor opened again and relieved two unexpected faces

"Kudo-kun!" Jodie as Vermouth exclaimed

* * *

"My shoe?" Aoko asked with a raised eyebrow

"Trust me" Kaito said with a distinctly earnest expression. She had seen that confident smirk in the past, and it had never failed her. She complied, removing her right shoe and handing it to him. He nodded in thanks and turned back to the fan. He ran his fingers over the heel of the shoe and found what he was looking for. After waiting a few seconds to time the blades he thrust the heel of the shoe into the fan. The blade of the fan became lodged in the material of the heel and, with some added force from Kaito, came to a hault

"You…" Kaito nodded back to her

"I knew the kind of shoes you wore had an elevated heel made of rubber. The blade of the fan wasn't sharp enough to cut through it, so it got stuck." Aoko shook her head at the seemingly ridiculous plan, but couldn't complain since it had worked

"Now what?" she asked. Kaito looked back at the shoe and then back to her

"You go first" he said with a smile, this once less cocky and more genuine, something Aoko wasn't accustomed to seeing. She nodded and crawled through the opening made by the immobile fan. Once she was clear she turned around, expecting to see Kaito follow her. Instead he simply smiled at her and released his hold on her shoe. The fan kicked up again, causing the shoe to bounce away, right in front of Aoko's hands

"Kaito!" she exclaimed, unconcerned with the volume of her voice

"Aoko, go out the window and get away from here" her eyes began to water, causing them to glisten in the moonlight

"Kaito you can't go, what if you…" she trailed off as a shiver ran up her spine

"Aoko, I'll come back, I promise. But these are the people that killed my father, I have to bring them down, permanently" Kaito turned to leave

"Wait" Aoko mumbled, trying to resist being overtaken by tears. Kaito turned to look at her but looked away when he noticed the tears that had formed in her eyes. "I love you too, Kaito" she said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes "So you better come back" she demanded, trying to cover up the intensely emotionally profession she had just made. Kaito nodded with a look of determination, taking care not to let her words penetrate his psyche despite the arduous nature of the task, and crawled away

* * *

"Keibu, what do you think?" Kogoro asked, looking away from his binoculars to face his partner

"I don't know, this all seems very risky. But we have to trust Jodie-kun knows what she's doing" Kogoro nodded and turned his attention back to the base "Mouri-kun, why don't you take a break and call Eri-kun, she's probably worried" Kogoro was about to voice an argument when the image of his distraught and ill-tempered wife came into his head

"Uh hai" and with that Kogoro walked off to make his phone call, while Megure grinned in amusement 'maybe I should call Midori…'

* * *

"Eh?" Heiji questioned as the two women started walking toward them "Kudo do you know them?" Shinichi did not acknowledge his friend's question, do to his own uncertainty

"How do you…" he mumbled to himself, concern painted all over his face. 'I never told her my identity, how does she know me? I've never met her as Kudo Shinichi' his thoughts were brought to a halt as Jodie and Vermouth stopped in front of them

"What are you doing here, this is dangerous" a bead of sweat went down the side of Shinichi's face, however Heiji did not share his anxiety

"Oi, who the hell are you?" he asked indignantly. Jodie huffed in offense, which confused Shinichi "and who's the woman in handcuffs?" Vermouth groaned, shaking her head and looked at Shinichi

"I'm Jodie, this is Vermouth" she stated plainly, pointing down at the woman in cuffs. Shinichi's face contorted in confusion

"Hello Cool Guy" Vermouth said with a seductive smirk

"Vermouth? But you're….what the hell is going on!" Shinichi exclaimed. Heiji promptly covered his counterpart's mouth with his hand and shot him an angry look

"We disguised as one another so we could get in, what I want to know is what are _you _doing here?" Shinichi and Heiji looked at one another and then back to the two women

"Megure-keibu told us about the plan to bring down the Black Organization, but said that we couldn't accompany him and assist. So we came on our own" Shinichi explained rather plainly. Jodie as Vermouth shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose

"I should have known. After all we let you help us last time" Shinichi's eyes bugged out of his head for a second at her words

"What are you talking about?" Shinichi yelled, remembering that he as Kudo Shinichi had never actually met her "I've never even met you" he added with an unconvincing chuckle

"Kudo-kun we've known about you _status_ for some time" Shinichi's was completely astonished but before he could question further Heiji butted in

"Well we should go, we were following those two guys and by now they are probably way ahead of us" he grunted in annoyance, grabbing Shinichi by the collar and pulling him away. As they made their way up the stairs Shinichi's mind remained sidetracked 'How did they find out…'

* * *

"Kaito KID, where are you!" Gin roared, evil intent evident in his voice. Kaito swallowed hard, gazing down at the two black clad men through a vent. 'Think, what do I do now?' His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the door at the end of the hall creak open. He darted his eyes in the direction of the noise and a grin played on his lips 'Good evening, Kudo Shinichi'

"Gin did you hear that?" Vodka asked, awaiting a response from his partner. In unison the two men turned around and looked back at the door, where Heiji and Shinichi were standing with confident smirks on their faces

"Looks like they found us" Heiji said quietly with minimal movement of his face

"Mhm, it looks like we're going to have to think fast" Shinichi responded, running through scenarios in his head. From the other end of the hall he could see Gin and Vodka moving toward them

"Shouldn't we just-" Vodka was cut off by a faint and foreign snicker

"No" Gin said with a laugh "I want to enjoy this" the two began to march toward the teenagers but their attention was diverted when a loud clang came from behind them. They both swung around to find none other than Kaito KID, standing erect with an aluminum panel beneath his feet and a card gun in his hand

"Have you been looking for me?" He asked with a pompous air. Gin gritted his teeth and raised his gun to aim at Kaito but was stopped by the sound of footsteps coming from the other direction. He turned his head slightly, just enough to see the two intruders walking toward he and Vodka

"Vodka, go kill them. I'll take care of KID" Vodka nodded and strode away, cocking the gun he now brandished in his hand

"Well at least now we can be alone" KID quipped sarcastically, serving to annoy Gin further

"I'm going to send you to hell Kaito KID!" he roared as he fired a round at Kaito. Before his finger even reached the trigger Kaito shot a sharp-edged card at his wrist, causing Gin to miss Kaito to the right. Before Gin could realign his shot Kaito threw a smoke bomb at the ground and once again vanished in a burst of dark smoke "Damnit!" Gin grunted irately as he began firing at the vents above his head. Kaito grinned wildly, seeing that his plan had worked and he ran forward, embedding his fist underneath Gin's jaw. He fell backward but remained standing and proceeded to shoot forward into the smoke, a sinister grin on his face

"Missed me" Kaito whispered behind his ear with a giggle. Gin swung back around and moved to fire but what came was merely a click "Seems your clip is out" he pointed out, never allowing his confident bravado to falter. Before Gin could make a move Kaito leapt back into the cloud of smoke, throwing a sleeping gas bomb in front of him. Gin's mouth opened to yell but within seconds he was passed out on the ground

**So here's another one, a little shorter but what are ya gonna do. You didn't think Gin would go down first did ya? Or is he down at all? Hmm... anyway enjoy the chapter, and don't worry, Shinichi and Heiji versus Vodka will be first next chapter so hold your horses and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing means you don't hate Turtles**


	56. Changes in the Troop Scheme

**Tokyo: 9:10**

**Panay: 8:10 **

'Who the-' Eri questioned internally as her started to ring. Ran made no movement to show that she noticed the ringing. After reaching into her pocket and fishing out her phone she flipped it open

"Moshi?"

"Eri" Kogoro's gruff came through the earpiece of Eri's phone and sent a shiver down her spine

"Kogoro! Where are you? What's going on? Are you alright?" she ranted, resulting in a loss of breath

"A woman your age shouldn't be under that much stress, you could have a heart attack" a large vein protruded from her forehead as genuine concern for her husband quickly morphed into fury

"A woman my age? When I get my hands on you I'll-" she stopped her raving when she noticed Kogoro was not huffing back at her like he usually did. She took a deep breath and smiled, allowing the gentleness in her voice to return "I'm glad to hear you're alright" Kogoro smiled internally

"How's Ran?" Eri turned her head to look at her daughter only to discover that she had fallen asleep. It was understandable considering how stressful the last few days had been

"She's fine" Kogoro breathed a sigh of relief and then a small sound coming from the receiver of his phone caused his ear to prick up

"Eri I can hear the car running where are you going?" he asked, causing a droplet of sweat to glide down Eri's temple 'Why did he have to pick now to be perceptive?'

"Well you see dear we were just heading over to the local Ramen shop, we were both hungry too tired to cook" she explained, manufacturing an incredibly artificial laugh. Kogoro grunted, seemingly annoyed by his wife's sad attempt at a fib

"First of all there are only two times when you call me 'dear', and that's when you're angry or when you're lying. Secondly I know we have plenty of microwave meals at the agency, so convenience isn't a viable excuse for eating out" 'Why can't he be this intelligent on cases?' she thought, irritation quickly setting in as her husband rapidly picked apart her story

"Okay Ran and I were on our way to the…airport" a shot of rage and fear shot through Kogoro's body

"Eri, I want you to go back to the agency right now" he demanded using a much more stern tone than usual

"We both agreed that we can't just sit around and wait anymore. We want to help" Kogoro began to fume at the thought of his two precious women in danger

"This isn't something you can help with now go back home! I don't want either of you here!" the harshness of his tone and the volume of his words sent Eri into a tizzy

"It's not your decision, if we want to go then we're going!"

"Woman!"

"We're going and that's final!"

"Woman if you come out here and get yourself hurt I'll never forgive myself!" the sincerity of his words caught Eri off guard and her angry quickly dissipated. She sat there for a moment, try hard not to lose track of where she was on the road. It was a rare occurrence when her husband genuinely beat her in a verbal spar, and yet she could not think of a single word to respond with

"I…"

"No, I want you to go home and take Ran with you. I should be home by tomorrow" and with that Kogoro hung up, leaving Eri to mull over his words. As the significance of what he had said began to sink in she noticed a large flood of lights in the oncoming distance 'There's the airport…'

* * *

"Shinichi…" Ran mumbled into neverending blackness, attempting to call out for the one she longed for more than any. After she received no response she repeated his name, this time at the top of her lungs with traces of desperation. Then, slowly an image began to materialize before her. She strode forward, knowing full well who it was. After a few long steps she reached the tall teenager and wrapped her arms around him

"Ran…" he whispered sweetly into her ear, as if nothing else could have made him happier

"Shinichi I was so worried about you, thank goodness you're okay" she cried, tightening her hold on his torso. He smiled down on her with softened eyes that he reserved just for her

"Ran, you need to go home" he stated with unfaltering conviction. She pulled her head out from his chest and looked up at him

"What are you…" before she could finish her question the reality of everything around crashed down. This was a dream, he wasn't real but what he said was. As if to confirm her suspicions he smiled again at her, warming her heart even despite the unreality of the interaction. Before she could respond her make believe Shinichi began to disappear before her eyes. She reached out desperately, trying to preserve that which she knew had to go away. As the last specks of his form vanished she lurched up in her seat, shaking her head as reality came back into focus

"Ran are you okay?" Eri asked, concerned with the abruptness of her daughter's arousal

"I'm fine, but kasan'…" she started, feeling almost guilty for what she had to say "I think we should go home" Eri seemed surprised at first but then smiled warmly at the suggestion

"Me too Ran"

* * *

"Kudo!" Heiji yelled in Shinichi's ear after watching him stare off into nothing for a few seconds

"Why are you yelling do you want to get caught?" Heiji was fuming but by some miracle he was able to keep himself from punching his fellow detective

"Look" Heiji grunted, trying to hold in the slew of obscenities he wanted to unleash. Shinichi looked in the direction Heiji was indicating

"Vodka? Wait where's Gin?" Heiji chuckled slightly to himself then replied

"Let's just say we have an ally among us" Shinichi turned to Heiji with a confused expression. He opened his mouth to inquire further but was cut off by the sound of Vodka hitting the floor. Heiji and Shinichi's eyes widened as the Moonlight Magician himself appeared behind the fallen assassin

"Kaito KID!" Shinichi exclaimed, causing Heiji to wince at the volume

"What'd you just say about yelling Aho?" Shinichi realized his hypocrisy and brought his emotions under control. In unison the two detectives walked through the door they had been hidden behind and made their way toward the thief

"Gentleman" KID started, using his elegant language as he usually did

"Save it KID, what are you doing here?" Shinichi asked brusquely. KID shrugged his shoulders and flipped his hands in the air

"You think you're the only person who's involved with these people" Heiji and Shinichi now shared a mutual theory about the man before them as his words were processed in their analytical minds

"So all along you were working for them, I should have put that together. Although I must admit you didn't strike me as the sort of criminal to respect authority" KID grinned at the presumptuous nature of the detectives

"Given your usually infallible logic I am surprised to see you make such a claim" Shinichi's expression did not falter even despite the surge of new questions that swirled around in his head

"Wait Kudo" Heiji started, as if to signal it was his turn to deduce. When he was satisfied the floor was his he pulled at the bill of his cap and slacked his shoulders "It's possible KID is here for the same reason we are" Shinichi quirked a quizzical brow at him "If I'm correct you're no older than eighteen, am I right?' he asked, turning his gaze to KID. KID shuddered a little at the inquiry

"What would make you th-"

"Not only am I certain of this, but I'm also almost positive I know your real identity" although they didn't express it, both KID and Shinichi were astonished

* * *

"So Mouri-kun, how's Eri-kun doing?" Kogoro shook his head and grunted tiredly

"That woman is going to drive both of us into the ground" he stated, no evidence of humor in his voice. Megure took this to mean the conversation hadn't gone too well.

"Well Mouri-kun I think I'll call Midori now" Kogoro nodded and with that Megure walked off. A few minutes passed and Kogoro became so immersed in his thoughts and the target he was currently observing that he took no note of the presence behind him

* * *

"So far so good" Hidemi said with an air of cheerfulness and relief as the team of officers crossed into their third room. Despite their success Sato still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Their new leader's words were still replaying in her head

"Ready Camel-san?" Camel nodded and entered the next room ahead of them. This room was different than the other three in that it contained no equipment on objects of any kind. Aside from a door and few creases on the floor the room was completely barren. In addition the door to enter the room was a sliding door, as opposed to the knobbed doors they had seen before

"You two next" Hidemi said, indicating Shiratori and Chiba. They nodded in compliance and want on ahead, leaving just Hidemi, Sato and Takagi. After a few seconds Hidemi received the go ahead from Camel "Now you" she said, pointing to Takagi. He nodded and started to walk ahead. When Sato moved Hidemi held her arm out to stop her

"What's this about?" Sato asked with a sharp edge on her tone

"We'll go after" she stated concisely. Sato huffed but made no physical effort to progress forward. While she did comply, Sato couldn't help but feel an ache in her chest as her fiancé went on without her. She wanted to be by his side, no matter where he went. Her thoughts were cut off when she noticed a small light on Hidemi's wrist light up. 'Has she been wearing that watch the whole time?'

"What's th-" she was cut off by Hidemi's straightened hand making brute contact with her neck. Before she could evaluate her situation her vision went fuzzy and she fell to the floor with a thud. Hearing this Takagi swung his head around just in time to see the door slam shut

* * *

"Well if you are certain, please enlighten me. I can't see those two causing us any trouble" Heiji's smirk at that moment matched KID's perfectly, except his wasn't a bluff

"Well after the last heist I witnessed on television I observed something. Your face." KID and Shinichi both seemed confused by the lead in "There's almost no evidence of facial hair growth around your chin or your cheeks. Normally even if someone shaves often there is still stubble or at least a shadow" Shinichi nodded to himself as he took Heiji's points into consideration

"A close shave is out of the question then?" KID asked coyly, failing to phase the ever-determined Heiji

"That's not all. I found it strange that a renowned thief like you would take such a long hiatus, so I did some research and found that the Kaito KID from ten years had a few key differences from you" at this point a bead of sweat ran down KID's chin 'There was only one difference, and I explained that at the first heist. What could he possibly know?'

"Oh great tantei please continue" KID said obnoxiously, masking his legitimate anxiety

"Despite your previous explanation for your reasoning I still took into consideration the fact that you return the treasures you steal while the first KID did not. In addition I found that your movement while using your hang glider is significantly less efficient than it was ten years ago. At first I thought it may have been due to the time you had gone without using it, but in light of this new information I suspect it's simply because you weren't as good as your father, Kuroba-san"

* * *

"Sato-san!" Takagi roared vehemently at the closed door, banging his fists against it. Against his better judgment Shiratori did not intervene. Instead he took to conversing with Camel and figuring out what had happened

"Camel-san, what's going on?" he asked curtly, choosing to bypass pleasantries given their predicament

"I have a few ideas. It could be that we simply fell into a trap set by _them_" Shiratori shook his head doubtfully

"If that were true, why would Hondou-san insist on going in toward the end? Especially since she'd gone in close to the front every time before this" Camel gave a nod of acknowledgment

"I thought that too. As much as I'd like to think otherwise there have been instances where undercover operatives have been compromised by their surroundings due to increased exposure. Even Akai-san nearly lost himself when he began seeing that Miyano Akemi"

"If you're right then this has been a set up from the beginning" Camel sighed and ran his hands through his hair

"There is another option" he started, causing Shiratori's eyes to light up with the faintest glint of hope

"What is it?"

"Well, if this mission goes beyond my rank in the FBI then it's possible that she's simply keeping her cover by capturing us. If that's the case then our detention is part of a much larger scheme" Shiratori rubbed his chin a few times then nodded and decided to walk over tend to his emotionally crippled comrade

* * *

"There it is" Vermouth as Jodie said, jerking her head up to point at the door to their immediate right. Jodie as Vermouth took a breathe and, in a stroke of faith, revealed the key to Vermouth's handcuffs and released her. Vermouth rose from her hunched over position and quickly began massaging her wrists

"This is it" Jodie whispered to herself as she loaded her sidearm

"That's it, that's your plan? You're going to run in and take him by force?" Vermouth asked, almost giggling. Jodie's eyebrow twitched as images of Vermouth bloody on the ground ran rampant in her mind's eye

"Do you have a better one?" she asked, earning a grin from Vermouth

"Of course I do silly Jodie-kun. You go in as me, then I surprise you and pull a gun out. You scamper over to _him_ and point your gun at me. He won't even see it coming when you blow his head off" Vermouth seemed completely elated about her plan, but Jodie's face was stern and serious

"We can't do that, it's my job to arrest this man. If he dies here then all of his crimes go unatoned for" Vermouth seemed moderately annoyed by the naiveté of such a distinguished officer

"You think you can just handcuff him and walk him out the door? This is the head of a multi million dollar crime syndicate, not some drug lord. If you don't kill him he'll get away and that will be more bodies on your hands" Jodie meditated on Vermouth's point momentarily but was snapped back into reality when the sound of Vermouth loading her clip into her 9" echoed through the corridor

"What are you doing?" Jodie snapped, unnerved by the idea of her enemy in life holding a loaded weapon so close to her

"Allow me to make this simple" she thrust her head forward, bring her sultry lips within centimeters of Jodie's ear "Either you kill him, or I'll kill you"

* * *

"Father?" Shinichi exclaimed, shocked by the seemingly outrageous claim

"You caught me, my father was a famous hang glider" KID responded sarcastically, vigilantly keep up his façade

"No, your father was a magician just like you. In my research I found that the last KID heist ten years ago happened just two days before the tragic death of the legendary magician Kuroba Toichi. He had a son, Kaito, who in recent years has been noted for his ability to do magic. I put two and two together, but I do have one question to ask you" Heiji paused to lock eyes with KID, noticing the youthful blue in them "Your father's death, it wasn't an accident was it?" Upon hearing these words Kaito felt his muscles go weak 'Damn these detectives, how the hell could he have figured all that out, he's never even talked to me and I know he hasn't seen me as myself'

"The pause only serves to verify Hattori's theory" Shinichi added as the magician racked his brain for a witty excuse or comeback. After a extensive silence between them he finally said

"I suppose letting you in on the secret isn't too big of a deal since I'm retiring after tonight"

* * *

Kogoro's concentration had been on the complex in front of him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He immediately realized it was far to thin and boney to be Megure's. Not knowing what to do, he put his hands over his head and tied to control his increasingly constricted breathing 'This is it? This is how the great Mouri Kogoro's life comes to an end?' As he tried to cope with his untimely passing, the hand let up and a small chuckle came from behind him. He quickly swung around to see what the joke

"Oi who the hell do think you are?" he roared in aggravation

"I'm James Black of the FBI, and this is Akai Shuuichi"


	57. One's Intentions

**Tokyo: 9:25**

**Panay: 8:25**

"Mmm…" Kazuha mumbled from the backseat of Eri's car

"Kasan what was that?" Ran asked absent mindedly. Eri smiled and pointed to the backseat

"Oh it's just Kazuha-chan sleeping" Ran nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to face the road. A few seconds passed then in unison Ran and Eri allowed what they had said to sink in

"Kazuha-chan!" they both screamed in shock

"Hmm what, what happened?" Kazuha asked groggily, rubbing her eyes with her palms. 'Oh no, we forgot Kazuha-chan was with us. She still thinks we're going to the airport' Ran thought nervously

"Oh nothing Kazuha-chan go back to sleep we'll be at the airport in no time" Kazuha nodded in acknowledgement and shut her eyes, once again leaning her head against the window beside her. Once Ran was confident her friend was asleep once more she turned to her mother with concern in her innocent blue eyes

"Kasan what are we going to do? She still thinks we're going to the Philippines to help Shinichi and Hattori-kun" Eri smiled nonchalantly and waved her hand at her daughter

"Daijoubu Ran, we'll go home, prepare something for dinner then we'll explain everything. I'm sure she'll understand" Ran nodded warily and turned her head glance at her unconscious friend 'I hope so'

* * *

Hidemi looked down mischievously at the passed out police officer. Her face looked peaceful despite means by which she had come to be unconscious in the first place. After analyzing the body the woman for a few more seconds she flipped open her phone and clicked on one of the speed dials

"Korn" she started, sounding more official than usual

"Kir where the hell are you?" he asked, raising his voice slightly higher than his usual level but maintaining his indifferent tone

"I just set up our intruders, they won't be going anywhere. I have one hostage left though, one of the Beika officers"

"Bring her and meet at the front entrance. We need to go now, otherwise the F.B.I agent and the rat she's got with her may actually kill _him_" Hidemi looked down at the woman once again then nodded to herself

"Meet me halfway, it's going to be difficult carrying her all the way to the front of the building" Korn huffed into the phone and let out a quick 'fine' before hanging up. Once Hidemi put her own phone away she grabbed to young officer by the collar and started dragging her toward the door they had entered the room through. After a minute or so of dragging the seemingly lifeless body she made it outside the building. Once there she crouched down and pulled the woman up over her shoulder, grunting as the full weight pushed down on her. After a few seconds of situating she started to move forward

* * *

"Camel-san!" Takagi roared back at his superior after slamming his fists into the now locked door behind him "What the hell is going on!" Shiratori was taken back by the strong language used by the man he had come to know as gentle and kind.

"I already told you, she's either planned this to maintain her cover or she's lost herself in her undercover identity. We'll know soon enough" the composure of the F.B.I agent before him served only to further infuriate the young officer

"What about Sato-san!" he growled in an almost predatory manner

"Takagi-kun you need to calm down, you know as well as I that there's nothing he can do. I understand you're angry but you need to be clear-headed right now, if for no other reason you must do this for her sake" as Shiratori's words of wisdom sunk in, the white-knuckle grip Takagi had on Camel's attire slowly loosened and eventually he released him

"What are we going to do?" Takagi asked in a hushed voice, fear obviously present in his gaze. Shiratori took a moment to process the question then finally answered

"I don't know yet, but right we need to find a way out of here"

* * *

"The F.B.I? I thought you were all already inside" James pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head

"She was supposed to wait until we arrived before trying to infiltrate…" As James wallowed in his irritation Akai took a step forward and motioned toward the binoculars in Kogoro's hand

"Have been monitoring what's happening inside?" he asked with an official tone

"Uh hai, what we can see anyway. After Jodie-kun and Vermouth entered the compound we-"

"What?" James interrupted with a near scream

"It turns out Vermouth actually meant to assist in the destruction of the Organization, so Vermouth and Jodie-kun posed as one another and entered the compound together, Vermouth acting in disguise as Jodie's prisoner" While Akai managed to keep a calm demeanor James' fury was obvious

"Has she completely lost her mind?" he roared, causing Kogoro to jump slightly. His expression calmed considerable however when Aki laid a hand on his shoulder

"Jodie-kun is an intelligent woman, I'm sure she has a plan. Mouri-san, is there anybody else inside right now?" Kogoro was taken off guard by Akai knowing his name but decided to ignore that fact

"There's Camel-san and four of the Beika prefecture officers in there" Akai nodded and turned to face the building

"Akai-kun, I know what you're thinking, you can't just run in there. You have no idea how many men they have or how well they're armed. It's a suicide mission" Akai grinned and gave James a pat on the shoulder

"This has been my mission for years, I have to finish it" and with that he took off through the abundant foliage toward the large building. James reached a hand out to stop him but quickly retracted it and placed it at his side

"He's right" he mumbled to himself, gaining Kogoro's attention

"He's going to get himself killed" Kogoro grunted as he watched Akai run off through his binoculars. James let out a soft chuckle and took a seat beside Kogoro

"Maybe, but that's what makes him special. He seems to have a knack for surviving the impossible" Kogoro didn't respond, but instead simply took the words at face value. Things were silent for a minute or so until Megure's jovial voice came from behind them and said

"What was all that noise?"

* * *

"Retiring?" Shinichi asked with understandable skepticism

"Allow me to regale you with my tale. As you said, my father was indeed the original Kaito KID. Despite popular belief my father did not work for any crime syndicate. This, however, didn't stop many gangs and organizations from taking interest in his abilities. One of these was the group we've waged war on today, the one you call the Black Organization" Heiji and Shinichi both nodded to affirm their understanding

"Let me guess, they wanted your father to steal something for them, but when he refused they assassinated him and fixed it to appear as a stage malfunction" Shinichi said with a confident grin. KID simply emulated his smirk and took a step closer to them

"Correct, you know you detectives real are no fun at all" Heiji and Shinichi looked at one another then back to KID

"What did they want him to find so badly?" Heiji inquired

"A gem known as Pandora. It's said to have the ability to grant eternal life. They wanted it so they could live forever. The man in charge of finding the gem was a man codenamed Snake, the man that killed my father." Heiji and Shinichi stood with stoic expressions. Shinichi couldn't help but feel the burn of remorse in his chest as he remembered the recent loss of his own father

"So that's why you give back what you steal? You were looking for one gem specifically and since you didn't want the others for money you just gave them back" KID nodded and Heiji suddenly felt something he didn't think he would ever feel for the thief: respect

"So now you know about my past and my motives for stealing. After tonight, however there will be no need for my continue searching for Pandora so I will be retiring" As the words left his mouth he started to turn away

"Wait" Shinichi said in a raised but calm voice

"Hmm?" KID turned his head toward him

"Tell me, have you done everything you've done because you wanted to stop a group of criminals from achieving something that could endanger the entire world, or because you wanted revenge for you father?" KID stood still for a moment, then with his signature smirk he leapt away, giving him no verbal answer.

"What are we supposed to do with them?" Heiji asked, pointing at Gin and Vodka. Shinichi seemed at a loss until he noticed a bundle on the floor by where KID had been standing. He walked over to it and grinned, looking off in the direction KID had bounded away

"He left us a gift" Shinichi said, turning to Heiji so he could see the large coil of rope in his hand

* * *

After processing Vermouth's threat Jodie opened the door to _that person's_ office, choosing not to acknowledge the ominous words. As she crept forward slowly, Vermouth flew past her, trudging ahead toward the desk where she knew his assistant would be

"What are-" his assistant started before having a gun shoved in her face

"Unlock it" she said in a cold and unrelenting tone. The assistant chose not to play games and pressed the button below her desk, causing the door's lock to click open. Without acknowledging the assistant further Vermouth strode toward the door. She waited a moment for Jodie to walk up behind her then she pushed the door open and walked into the room. It was pitch black but that didn't surprise her, that's how it usually was. The light from the room they had come from shown in the room, allowing them to make out the vague outline of a loveseat, a lamp and a desk. Behind the desk was a chair and the profile of an average sized man. As the door closed behind them the light quickly faded and soon they were enshrouded in total blackness save for the embers from _that person's _cigar

"Vermouth" he started, and she quickly pointed her gun in the direction of his voice. Vermouth did not respond, so Jodie took the initiative

"I am Jodie Starling of the F.B.I and I'm here to arrest you for the crimes of drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, theft and destruction of public property" Vermouth shook her head in humiliation as _he_ proceeded to laugh obnoxiously at her statement

"Really? Well before you take me in allow me to show you a little something, ne?" Before they had time to object an object the size and shape of a soccer ball lit up before them

"What is that?" Vermouth asked, cocking her gun and moving closer to it

"It's the centerpiece for the new world I'm going to construct. The future lies in this beautiful piece of machinery" Jodie and Vermouth were both becoming nervous as the lights grew brighter and shadowed the contours of _his_ face

"A future…" he continued, raising the ball higher so it was over his head "that you will not be a part of" Vermouth and Jodie both grew their guns to fire when the door behind them swung open violently

* * *

"There" Heiji said, admiring the task he had just completed as he stood before the now tied up Gin and Vodka

"It's a good thing you know how to tie advanced knots, otherwise this may have been more difficult" Heiji chuckled and scratched the back of his head

"It's good to know stuff like that. Anyway Kudo, where do we go now? Should we grab them and leave?" Shinichi shook his head as his hand made its way up to his chin

"No that's no good, if they wake up who knows what they'll do. Besides we don't have a car to carry them in or a place to take them. The authorities are out of the question, most of them are corrupted so they'd most likely just release them or even detain us" Heiji nodded and began to mull around other options. Their thoughts were interrupted however when they heard footsteps coming toward them. The turned toward the source and Shinichi gaped in shock at who he laid eyes on

**I'm not usually one for double cliffhangers but hey, who cares. My semester just ended so I should be able to finish this story once and for all in the next few weeks at the latest. After that I'll be filling in holes in some of my other stories, finishing the Gosho couples series, then I'll be leaving the Fanfic biz(if you can call it that). I encourage everyone to review, we're ten away from triple digits so get to it and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is...well I already told **


	58. Bonsoir, Ennemi

"Akai Shuuichi!" Shinichi exclaimed with a puzzled expression as the F.B.I agent strode toward them. The two teenage detectives said nothing, stunned to silence by the approach of the man who had become somewhat of an apparition to those who knew of his alleged demise

"I thought you were dead…" Shinichi whispered under his breath, catching Heiji's attention. Heiji being the more forward of the two decided to vocalize his query

"Didn't you die during the last stand off with these guys?" Heiji asked in a high enough volume for Akai to hear from the distance he was at. Akai didn't respond right away, instead he walked over to the two unconscious figures and knelt in front of them

"I always thought I'd be the one to beat you" he said, staring at Gin's sleeping face. As if on cue Gin's eyes flew open and immediately hateful rage filled his pupils

"You…" he snarled, never breaking eye contact with his nemesis. Akai didn't acknowledge Gin any further, instead turning his attention to the teenagers in front of him

"Would I be here if I had died?" Akai asked without actually looking at Heiji. Quickly finding this demeaning Heiji grabbed onto Akai's right shoulder and spun him to face forward

"Would you mind telling us why you're here then?" Akai grinned smugly at the detective then shifted his gaze to meet Shinichi's

"I see that girl fixed you" Shinichi's eyes tore open at the comment. Rarely did he lose his composure but the nonchalant manner in which the agent regarded his recently altered condition had Shinichi's hands shaking and sweaty

"H-How did you…" Akai chuckled again, then turned his body so he was fully facing Shinichi, serving to fully enrage Heiji

"Oi!"

"You can't fool everyone" was all he said on the matter. As Shinichi processed the piece if wisdom Akai turned back to face his rival

"Where is Shouchou-san?" he asked with an icy countenance that would have left Kaito KID utterly outclassed

"Heh, what makes you think you're even going to leave this place alive?" Gin inquired in an eerie voice. By this point Vodka had been roused from his slumber and the two of them were staring at Akai. Vodka's sunglasses had fallen off while being roped up and his eyes, which were a dark brown hue, were surprisingly intense as they looked on unwavering

"I can see you're not going to answer any questions, not that I'd expected you to" Akai started, withdrawing a handgun from the holster on his waist "So I suppose I should eliminate the threat you pose" with that he pointed the gun at Gin's head. Heiji and Shinichi looked on with apprehension as the hall fell deathly silent. Gin and Akai were engaged in a psychological battle, one that neither seemed to be winning

"I will die before I say a word to you, traitorous rat" Despite his decision to speak, Gin's eyes did not change in the slightest. Without wasting a second Akai fired two shots, one into each of Gin's kneecaps. Gin grunted, but aside from that hardly even acknowledged the wounds. Heiji and Shinichi were aghast at the display of masculine toughness. Even Akai was taken back, despite being aware of Gin's incredible pain tolerance

"That should keep you here long enough for me to take care of your boss. When I'm done I'll be back for you" As Akai got up to leave he held a hand out in the direction of the two detectives "As for y-"

"If you think we're going to stay here and babysit a tied up cripple and his friend you're even dumber than that Mouri-tantei!" Heiji roared, finally releasing the pent up anger he had been holding in since the first sign of disrespect Akai had shown him. Akai stood silently for a moment before finally putting his hand down at his side and sighing

"As for you two, since I'm sure you'll both follow me anyway, I must ask that you keep your distance in case we're attacked" Heiji and Shinichi gave a quick nod and with that they departed, leaving Gin bleeding heavily and Vodka beginning to worry. As soon as the three disappeared through the doors to the stairwell however, Gin leaned over and whispered something to Vodka, receiving a nod in response

* * *

After pulling up in front of the Mouri Detective Agency Ran reluctantly woke Kazuha up. For all her fighting ability she wasn't freakishly strong so carrying a girl of equal body weight to her own up a flight of stairs was not likely. After a few light shoves and whispers Ran finally gave up and with a sly grin leaned over to Kazuha's ear and whispered in a sultry voice

"Oh Hattori-kun is so strong and handsome, I wonder if he'll take me to-" before she could finish Kazuha's eyes shot open as she released a flurry of muttered threats. Once she realized where she was and who she was with she calmed considerably and rubbed her eyes

"Ran-chan why are we at the agency, what happened?" Ran was finding it difficult to look into the innocent eyes of her friend and maintain her composure

"Kazuha-chan we decided that it's better if we just wait until they come back" she muttered in a hushed voice, flinching slightly as she awaited impending rage. To her surprise Kazuha said nothing, she simply got out of the car, stretched a little, and started walking toward the stairs. Ran continued to look at her confusedly as her mother opened the door to the apartment, followed closely by Kazuha. Though her curiosity was peaked, Ran decided it would be in her best interest to wait for Kazuha to explain her strange reaction

* * *

"Hidemi-san/Kir!" Vermouth and Jodie yelled simultaneously in shock. Hidemi grinned at the acknowledgement as Korn surfaced behind her

"Hello Kir, Korn, you're just in time" Shouchou welcomed them genially, holding a hand out to them while his other held the force bomb which was beginning to shake in his hand

"What is that?" Korn asked, not necessarily directing the question at anyone specifically. Hidemi did not turn to him, her attention to focused on the shining orb in her superior's hand. Vermouth, who had been momentarily stunned by the unfolding events, suddenly came to her senses and fire two shots from her pistol at the glowing sphere. It fell harmlessly to the ground, shaking for a few seconds before it's light dissipated completely

"All this time my instincts were accurate. How long have you been plotting this ultimate treason?" Vermouth laughed heartily at her former boss' question

"I've wanted to leave this place almost as long as I've been in it. Truth is I've always hated you, and yet you always pulled me closer to you. And with every passing day, as I learned more about you my hatred only intensified" As Vermouth finished her monologue of sorts a grunt came from the back of the room and suddenly all eyes were on Hidemi, who had her foot on top of Korn's incapacitated head

"As it turns out, you have quite a few enemies here" She said with a conceited air

* * *

"Where is that baka?" Aoko grumbled as she huddled for warmth under a tree within a hundred feet of the compound. Despite Kaito's wishes, she had chosen to wait for him. Stupid as she knew she was being, she couldn't help but worry about him. She stared longingly at the building, hoping to see her knight in white formal wear appear in the night sky as he always did. Her thoughts were abruptly halted when she felt two gloved hands encircle her shoulders, wrapping in a warm embrace

"Baka, I told you to leave" Kaito said in a mock-angry tone. She could only smile as she leaned back against him, allowing him to support her weight

"Is it over? Did you get Snake?" she asked in anticipation, expecting a tale of her love's heroics and triumph over the black clad villain. Instead the answer she received was

"I suppose we'll find out"

* * *

It had been a few minutes since Ran, Kazuha and Eri had entered the apartment. Surprisingly there was almost no tension between the three even despite their lack of talking. Ran had almost immediately begun preparing a meal and Eri had gone into the restroom, leaving Kazuha alone in the family room. As Ran made her way around the kitchen she noticed Kazuha's thoughtful yet undampened expression and, against her better instincts decided to investigate.

"Kazuha-chan, could you help me with this?" she requested from the kitchen, continuing to go about her business. With a cheerful 'hai' Kazuha walked into the kitchen and observed Ran's actions, waiting for her to stop and give her a task

"Whatdya need?" she asked, causing Ran to stop and turn around

"Could you cut those onions and carrots?" Kazuha nodded and picked up the knife lying beside the cutting board, which had already been prepared with the aforementioned items. As she started to cut Ran's curiosity got the best of her and, as she placed a pot of water on the stove she asked "Are you sad about not going to Panay Island to help Hattori-kun and the others?" Ran was nervous as she awaited her Osakan counterpart's reply. Kazuha shook her head and sighed

"No, as stupid as the Aho can be, I know he'll come back" as she spoke their was no trace of timidity or doubt in her words. Before she continued she ceased her cutting and grabbed onto her omamori with both hands, pressing it to her chest "The truth is, we would've just been in the way. And no matter how much they deny it they do worry about us, and I know us being there would've only worried them more..." she heaved another sigh and looked longingly up at the ceiling, as if she was staring right through the building and into the night sky. After a few moments she moved her head back down and went back to cutting, prompting Ran to return to her tasks. After a brief lapse of silence Kazuha smirked and spoke again

"So Ran-chan, last night in the waiting room I overheard your 'kasan and Kudo-kun talking..."

* * *

"What the hell are you doing!" Shouchou screamed. Reality was slowly dawning on him: he was defenseless and he had three well trained women pointing guns at him

"You're going to be tried for every crime you've ever committed" Jodie said coolly as she took a step past Vermouth, her gun still drawn and aimed at Shouchou. As she lifted her foot up to take her next step she felt a force against the back of her neck and everything went black

"Vermouth what are you doing?" Hidemi barked, tempted to move her gun barrel in the direction of the blonde haired assassin

"I told her I was going to kill him, and she still tried to get in the way. She's lucky I didn't kill her" Hidemi was still confused but surmised that despite the violence against her ally, Vermouth was still on their side

"I don't suppose me telling you not to would do any good would it?" She asked almost comically, despite the atmosphere in the room. After receiving no response she decided it was best to allow the stunning woman before her to handle the remainder of the standoff

"Finish me then Vermouth, kill the man you raised you as his own. The man who sought out a formula just so you could retain your youth. Kill the man that has done everything for you, who provided for you and cared for you when you had nothing" Vermouth snorted loudly at his dramatic rambling

"Gladly" she responded curtly, placing her second hand on the base of the pistol's handle for stability. As she steadied for her shot a strange light caught her eye "What the-" before she could get a word out the sound wave explosive thought to be inactive exploded, tearing the entire already disheveled office apart

* * *

"What was that?" Shinichi exclaimed as the trio ran toward the sound. Akai quickly threw open the door to the hall where the sound seemed to have generated from. As he ran toward down the hall he noticed a small stream of dust flowing out of a half open door. He went to it as fast he could and thrust the door open, revealing a panicked young woman behind a desk and a room full of swirling air and dust. When Akai turned his eyes toward the darkened opening before him he froze completely. In his stupor he failed to notice Shinichi and Heiji, who were now standing mere inches behind him

'What could have done this…' Shinchi trailed off mentally as he ran his fingertips along the door, which was lying six feet away from the opening where it originated

**This is going to sound impossible, but I plan to end this whole story in two chapters. I know this sounds like the introduction to a magic trick but hold on, I am also including an epilogue. Nevertheless as far as the story itself goes, two chapters. So do me a favor and remember**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing makes me Smile**


	59. The End of a Miserable Life

Silence befell the darkened office in the aftermath of the massive explosion. At first there had been rustling from the papers and smalls objects that had been strewn about. But as the dust finally settled there was no noise whatsoever. Not a cough, a wheeze, a choke, or even a heavy breath. Complete and utter silence. For Vermouth at least.

"Do either of you have a light?" Akai asked hurriedly, aching to check on the situation inside the devastated room

"No" Shinichi answered almost immediately while Heiji patted himself down in a futile attempt to discover a mysterious light source attached to his person

"Me neither" Heiji stated solemnly. Akai shook his head and withdrew a lighter from his pocket, quickly lighting it and advancing forward into the shadowy room. Once inside he went about scanning the wall for a light switch. He took only two steps before his foots tapped against the rib cage of what appeared to be a young woman

"Hidemi-san…" he trailed off as he lowered himself to his knees. While Akai scanned the unconscious body of his colleague Shinichi and Heiji went about questioning the secretary seating near the entrance to the room, who was still scared half out of her wits

"Ma'am do you know what happened here?" Heiji asked, pointing to the dislodged door. The woman almost shook her head then, in what appeared to be a moment of clarity opened her mouth and spoke

"I was just sitting here, doing some paperwork when I heard something hit the wall behind me. After that it sounded like a desk fell over and then everything went quiet." Heiji gazed into her eyes with increasing scrutiny

"And you didn't get up to help or call someone?" the woman waved her hands in front of her face frantically

"No no I called the security and medical extensions but neither picked up. The last time I heard an explosion like someone had…" she trailed off, looking up at Heiji with doe eyes that could've stopped even the most ruthless interrogator in his tracks. Heiji muttered a quick 'thanks' and went over to Shinichi who was standing at the doorway, looking down at the battered body of Hondou Hidemi

"Kudo isn't that…"

"It's Hondou Hidemi, the woman who went undercover for the F.B.I. I had no idea she was even here. It makes me wonder who else got mixed up in this" as the words fell out of his mouth his eyes locked on another woman's body, this one much more mangled than the previous

"And that's…"

"Vermouth."

* * *

"You need to go back" Aoko said with firm resolve, causing Kaito to gape in astonishment. Here he had thought they would fly off into the moonlight together. Who would have thought Kaito would be the romantic of the two?

"What are you saying? I just left there to see you and now you want me to go back?" Aoko's eyes grew softer as she brought her face closer to his, directing his eyes so they were on hers

"You've been fighting for the chance to avenge your father's death for a long time. You've spent so much time and energy on this stupid act Kaito, all so you could be here now, battling the people that took your father from you." Kaito was taken back by the dynamic way she was speaking. He had never listened to a series of words as intently as he was at that moment

"Aoko…"

"Now you have that chance. You always thought it would be Pandora that would help you avenge Uncle Toichi, but now you have a chance to do something greater. You could be part of something that helps the whole world, and I can't think of anything that would honor your father's legacy more than that." Her words had reminded him of a question a certain detective had asked him, one that he had never answered

"I…" he mumbled, still trying to put his thoughts together. His internal debating stopped however when he felt a pair of warm lips grace the skin on his right cheek. For all of his emotional reservations he couldn't help but blush at the sign of intimacy

"Go on, make us proud" Kaito needed no more prompting. With a tip of his hat and a regal bow he took off toward the building he had only minutes ago escaped from

* * *

'What's…going on….' Vermouth asked herself as one of the Organization's greatest rivals entered the room. 'Akai Shuuichi…so he was alive…' she continued to observe him as he tended to the most likely passed out Hidemi. She moved her mouth to speak but a splitting pain shot through her abdomen at the movement. She reached a hand up from the ground, ignoring the anguish every movement put her through, and felt her midsection. It felt bloated and firmer than usual 'Bleeding…must be internal bleeding….' After coming to this conclusion she allowed her arm to rest at her side once again. 'I guess that means I'll be departing for the next world soon…' her morbid thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a figure rising from the ground 'Please no….' in a matter of seconds the figure made its way across the room and flicked a light switch which was located behind the place where Shouchou's desk formerly stood 'If there is a God….He has been just on this day' she decided as the light revealed a minimally damaged Jodie

* * *

"Jodie-san!" Akai exclaimed, either out of surprise or sheer joy. At the sound of her voice she turned and stopped, completely stunned.

"Shuu…" It was at that second that Akai remembered this was Jodie's first time seeing him since his alleged death. This was not the time or place for them to be seeing each other again for the first time and yet here they were, in the office of the most dangerous man on the western hemisphere, staring at each other

"We need to get her medical attention" Shinichi said from the doorway, breaking the tense silence in the room. Akai turned to him and nodded, pulling out his phone

"James-san"

"Akai-kun! What's going on? What happened?" James practically roared into the phone, causing the two men next to him to leap from where they were seated

"Relax James-san, I found Jodie-san and she's fine. We need a medevac for Hidemi-san though and some escort vehicles. We have a few higher ranking members to detain" James sighed in relief and muttered a quick 'ok' before hanging up and assembling the aforementioned services

* * *

'Kudo-kun…' Vermouth thought to herself as she fought off unconsciousness 'You know you're the whole reason I started feeling all of this…guilt. I had never questioned my actions before I met you. Then I saw how you risked everything for those closest to you, how you fought for justice for the sake of justice, without any selfish reason. You and your angel…you saved me when there was no reason for you to do so' She had become so entranced in her thoughts that she hardly noticed the young woman trying to get her attention

* * *

"Vermouth!" Jodie screamed, perturbed by the listless glint in her once rival's eyes. She seemed so distant, so gone

"Jodie-san, come here and watch Hidemi-san" Jodie almost asked him why, but upon meeting his eyes she chose otherwise and instead simply complied. As soon as she was kneeled down beside the half dead woman Akai rose and walked toward the corner of the room where a body that had been ignored up until this point was lying

"He's dead" Akai announced in an authoritative tone after reaching down and checking the pulse of the Organization's boss. Everyone within earshot sighed deeply in relief, happy to know that the nightmarish ordeal with the Organization was over

'He's dead….I guess now I can rest in peace. It's sad, all these years I convinced myself that being part of this Organization meant I would never have to be alone. And yet, now that it's gone I feel no different. I suppose I've always been…' before she could finish her thought she felt a strong hand on each of her shoulders

"Vermouth!" Shinichi screamed in a pleading tone, almost begging her to remain among the living. Somehow, despite the fact that Vermouth could feel death quickly approaching, his voice managed to penetrate her subconscious

"Cool…guy…" he said in a low, forced tone. Shinichi's eyes did not communicate any sort of overwhelming relief at the sound of her voice. To Shinichi she was nothing more than a member of the Organization that had been ruining his life for over a year

"You're alive" he said brusquely, with a hint of surprise tangled in his tone. She nodded and smiled warmly, bracing herself for the pain she was going to suffer shortly

"You…need to hold on to your precious people. A life devoid of love…is a miserable one." Shinichi eyes were intent, as if he could sense her life slipping away. Vermouth grinned and gave him a wink then breathed out her final words

_Your angel_

As the last word left her lips she finally slipped away, leaving Shinichi with a hand on each of her shoulders and the traces of a tear in his right eye

* * *

'Shuu…' Jodie thought with a heavy heart as she stared down at the battered body of her colleague. 'All this time…we all thought you were gone…' As she continued to swim in the recesses of her own mind a figure appeared behind her

"Oi" Heiji blurted out in a highly unorthodox manner. Jodie turned around abruptly and locked eyes with the immensely confused Osakan detective

"What are y-"

"Oh no, I'll ask the questions." Heiji opened his mouth to begin his tirade but was silenced by the sound of gun being cocked. All eyes turned toward the entryway from the main hallway where Gin was standing with a gun pointed at Haibara's head. Despite the evidence of significant blood loss around his knees and shins, Gin was on his feet and wearing his trademark sadistic grin

**~Flashback~**

"Aniki…" Vodka trailed off, sympathizing with his partner's injury. Gin was silent until a few seconds after the door to the staircase had closed. Once he felt it was safe to speak he turned to his pseudo-sibling and stared at him intensely

"Do you still have your knife?" he asked with stoic composure

"No, those two must have searched us. My gun and my knife are both gone" Gin turned to face forward again, a look of intense focus descending onto his features. Vodka decided to remain silent and allow his partner some time to consider their situation. After no more than a few seconds Gin raised his head confidently and turned back to Vodka

"Can you get to your feet?" Vodka considered the question as he looked down at his unbound legs

"Seeing as that kid only tied my arms, I should be able to stand" Without waiting for a response he started to push himself against the walk behind him, slowing sliding his body up the wall until he was on his feet

"Now, stand in front of me and crouch down" it was after this instruction that Vodka comprehended what Gin's idea was and he did as he was told. After walking in front of Gin and turning around, Vodka slowly lowered himself so Gin was face to face with the rope that bound his arms. With a grunt Gin opened his mouth and bit down hard on the rope. Feeling his partner's weight on the rope Vodka raised himself up, pulling Gin up with him until they were both standing

"Are you sure you can walk?" Vodka asked, obviously concerned by the condition of his associate's knees

"Only people with hearts can feel pain" he stated with a smirk as he started to walk forward, Vodka following in tow. The two walked in silence until they reached the bottom level of the compound, the prisoner's quarters.

"Aniki what are we-"

"There" Gin walked hurriedly toward a metal pipe that protruded from the wall on the left side of the hall. Before Vodka could ask what he was doing Gin turned to face away from the pipe and began rubbing the ropes around him against it furiously. After around thirty seconds of exertion the ropes finally fell to the floor around his ankles

"Hurry and cut yourself loose, I need to get something" Vodka was completely baffled by what appeared his partner's seemingly magical escape. After analyzing the pole for a second he figured out his partner's trick and grinned to himself 'This is from earlier when he was shooting at Kaito KID. After that smoke came out he shot randomly trying to hit him. I guess one of his stray bullets must have hit this pole and created a sharp edge'

While Vodka went about untying himself Gin was on his way to see his favorite prisoner

"Sherry" Haibara's eyes tore open at the sound of her codename and the voice that uttered it. Up until that point she had been lying in a ball, trying to conserve heat and sleep as much as possible. As she rose to her feet the look in her former ally's eyes caused her to tremble "It's time for you to atone for your treason Sherry" he said grimly as he moved downward toward his shoe. After a second or two of searching he withdrew a sliver key that glistened in the dim light of the dank hallway

"No…no….no….no" Haibara repeated to herself, like a mantra to escape a nightmare. Her situation became all too real however when she felt Gin's gloved hand grasp her upper arm. Haibara was too emotionally debilitated to even consider fighting him, and soon she found herself standing outside of her cell with Vodka to her immediate right

"Come on, we have to get to Shouchou-san" he stated, receiving a nod from Vodka

**~End Flashback~**

'Haibara…' Shinichi thought as a shot of pain went through his chest. The girl he had come to see as an ally and a companion was now standing with a gun to her head and a vacant look in her eyes

"Koibito-san" Akai said casually, walking forward with his gun drawn "I should have known wouldn't stay down for long" Gin only sneered and pushed the barrel of his pistol further into Haibara's brown tresses

"You're outnumbered Gin" Shinichi said matter-of-factly. Gin responded to his observation by lifting Haibara up by her hair, bringing her head up to his chest. Haibara wailed in pain and Shinichi took a step forward but stopped when he felt Heiji drawn him back

"Kudo don't be stupid, if you make a move he'll kill her and you" he whispered, causing Shinichi to grit his teeth in rage

"Now, bring _him_ out." The group looked around at one another puzzled until Gin specified with "Bring out Shouchou-san!" a bead of sweat ran down the side of Akai's face but that didn't alter his countenance

"First, tell us where your partner is"

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaito KID was just reaching the front of the compound. As he went to enter however he caught a glimpse of a black figure rounding the outside of the building. With a confident grin Kaito pulled out his card gun and followed the shadowy silhouette

**These last chapters have been taking a while I know but I've set a goal for myself, I want to finish this story in its entirety by Wednesday. Next chapter is the finale(well technically the epilogue is the finale but you know what I mean) so until then**

**Reading is Mandatory**

**Reviewing is Appreciated **


	60. Never Alone

**~Flashback~**

"Now what?" Vodka asked as Gin dragged a silent Haibara along by the arm

"I'm going to find out what's going on, you're going to go to the storage area on the east side of the building and finish off those hostages Kir left" Vodka nodded, remembering a call they had received from Korn not too long before, informing them that there were a handful of police officers and an F.B.I agent in one of the storage units. As the two separated Vodka couldn't but notice the bloodlust in his partner's eyes

**~End Flashback~**

Kaito had only been trailing the black clad murderer a few seconds before his foot came in contact with a leg which sent him tumbling forward. He pushed his eyes shut tightly and landed on his palms. He cringed, awaiting the inevitable arrival of the man no more than ten feet ahead of him. Vodka had stopped, but after waiting for a moment shrugged his shoulders and continued on. As he heard the man's feet move forward, Kaito sighed and shot back up to his feet. He moved to continue on until he heard a gentle sigh

Kaito froze and slowly turned his head, a feeling of dread coming over him. 'What the heck did I just…' before he could finish his thought the leg he had assumed belonged to a dead body shifted, along with the torso attached to it "Where…am I?" Sato asked, looking around as she rubbed the sore spot on her neck

* * *

"I've waited so long to finally send this traitor to hell where she belongs" Gin growled, shifting his gaze momentarily onto the girl in his clutches. She had giving up thrashing to escape but there was still a pained expression on her face

"If you plan to kill her anyway, what incentive do we have to sit here and listen to you?" Akai questioned boldly, taking a few steps forward while aiming his pistol with both hands for a more precise shot. Gin's grip on Haibara's hair tightened as he yanked her up a little higher to cover to broadness of his chest

"Where is _he_, bring out Shouchou-san!" Gin demanded, with a hint of furious desperation in his tone. Those who had been watching the usually cold and ruthless figure caught this change immediately

"He's dead. Killed by his own ambitions" Akai stated solemnly, leaving no doubt to the accuracy of his words. Gin snarled, trying hard to bite back the flurry of emotions that wanted to burst out of him

"Liar!" Gin yelled, cocking his piece and pressing it cruelly to Haibara's temple, causing her to flinch at the ever increasing pain

"Put her down!" Shinichi yelled as the helplessness of the situation continued to infuriate him. He had no weapon to speak of and the one person who did seemed to be taking his sweet time

"It's no lie, he's dead. The question is, what happens now?" with that, silence fell on the room

* * *

"Where am I, who are you? And where is that Hid-" her high volumed rant was cut off by a gloved hand forcefully entrapping her mouth

"Shh! We're in front of the Black Syndicate's compound. And if my memory serves me you're Officer Sato of the Beika Police" Sato nodded, a look of puzzlement on her features, evidenced mostly by her raised eyebrow. It didn't take long however for her confusion to turn predatory as she realized who was crouched before. Her eyes seemed to become emblazed as she grasped Kaito's outstretched wrist with both hands. Kaito began to get nervous when she slowly push his off of her face 'She is a powerful woman…'

"Kaito KID" Sato said, as if she felt obligated to identify the man in question. After no more than a second of hesitation Kaito grinned and bowed, removing his hat in a formal manner

"You are correct. However my intentions this evening do not involve theft of any sort. I believe our interests are the same" Sato quirked an eyebrow, signaling that she was willing to hear him out "Do you still have your gun?" Sato quickly ran her hands along her hips, taking inventory of her belt. She grinned as her fingertips hit cool metal and she withdrew her weapon, holding it out in front of her

"For a double-agent Hidemi-san isn't that smart" she seemed amused by the idea until she noticed he was deathly serious

"I'm following someone. He's armed, and since he's with these people he's dangerous. Stay behind me and be ready for anything" Sato nodded, still somewhat disoriented. Strangely enough though the man she had always labeled an enemy exhibited no threat to her whatsoever.

* * *

As Vodka approached the door to the first storage room he withdrew his gun and cocked. Once he was prepared he turned the knob and pushed the door open with his shoulder. He was met with nothing but darkness. 'Wait..' the cogs in Vodka's brain started to turn as he considered his surroundings. 'If Kir walked them through this room, how would she have turned the lights off?' While thinking he had continued to walk forward toward the second door 'She could have turned them off on her way out, but why would she if she knew they were trapped?'

"None of this makes sense…" he mumbled aloud to himself. As he opened the door in front of him he nearly jumped when he came face to face with the barrel of a handgun and a very irritated officer of the law

* * *

"It looks like we'll being departing into the next life together, Sherry" Gin said with a terrifying grin. Tears began to run freely down the face of the miniaturized scientist as death became imminent

"Haibara!"

"No!"

"Say goodbye!"

*BANG*

* * *

"What..how did you…" Shiratori couldn't help but smirk confidently as the villain in front of him started to stumble on his own words

"At first we thought Hidemi-san had double-crossed us and left us here to die. That is, until we realized what she left us with" it all clicked. 'Of course, she didn't disarm them. A mistake like that isn't one that a senior agent of the Black Organization makes on accident. No, it was a set up. From the beginning, it was all a triple cross, and no one suspected a thing.' Vodka thought as another armed officer appeared from behind Shiratori. Vodka tried to straighten up but immediately felt the barrel of another gun right on the small of his back

"You're not going anywhere" Camel said with a firm tone. Once Vodka was thoroughly subdued Shiratori gave a nod to Takagi, who had been standing in the shadows of the first room. Though Shiratori couldn't see his fellow officer nod back, he saw his silhouette as it ran out the door

* * *

"This is the where the rest of the officers are" Sato said, pointing forward toward the steel door which was opened wide. Her heart plummeted as she considered the possibility of her husband to be… 'No, he's fine. He has to be, I know he is'. While Sato was struggling to overcome her pessimistic thoughts Kaito proceeded toward the door, taking immense caution with every step. As the two unlikely partners came within a few feet of the door a figure came running out, gun in hand. On instinct alone both Kaito and Sato raised their arms to combat the coming threat. It only took a moment, however, for Sato to realize who it was standing in front of her

"Miwako…" Takagi whispered in almost disbelief. All the scenarios that had run through his head when he had been separated from his fiancé, all the horrible fates that she could have suffered and here she was, alive and well

"Wataru!" Sato shrieked, sprinted to him and leaping into his arms. Takagi couldn't contain his relief as he squeezed his beloved for all she was worth, earning an embrace of equal if not greater strength in return. Together the two stood, completed isolated from the events and people around them.

"Oi oi didn't you say there were more of them?" Kaito asked, effectively ending the 'moment'. Sato sighed and pulled away from Takagi, turning toward the white garbed magician

"Yeah" she responded, turning back toward Takagi "Where are the others?" Takagi opened his mouth to respond when something dawned on him

"Kaito KID!" Kaito jumped back, throwing his hands up in mock fright. Sato giggled and put her hands Takagi's chest as a means of calming him down. The maneuver quickly took effect as he locked eyes with his lady love

"Relax, he's helping us" Takagi looked perplexed, but trusted his bride to be and gave the KID a wary smile

"Well thank you for protecting her" he said, earning a punch to the arm from the woman beside him

"And who said I needed to be protected? What am I some fragile little-"

"I hate to break up this heated argument but didn't you say something about more officers?" Sato stopped her ranting and breathed deeply in an effort to compose herself

"So, where are they?" she asked, turning to face Takagi

"They're still inside. We caught someone, a broad shouldered man with a black hat and black sunglasses" Kaito instantly recognized the description, as did Sato

"That's the man we were following! Wataru take us to him" Takagi nodded and led them through the door he had recently exited. Once the three were in the dark room Takagi took hold of Sato's hand and led her to the lighted room ahead of them, followed closely by Kaito. Upon seeing the trio Shiratori's eyes widened

"You found her already?" he asked with a puzzled expression

"More like she found me. These two were already waiting outside when I ran out" he motioned toward Sato and the white clad mischief maker

"K-Kaito KID!" Chiba shouted from behind Shiratori, drawing the eyes of everyone including Vodka, who up until that point had been completely silent 'Kaito KID…' Vodka seethed at the sight of the flamboyant showman

"Where's your friend?" Kaito asked with a conceited air, only serving to further irritate Vodka

"Don't bother, he hasn't said a word since we caught him. We're just going to have to transport him then question him" Camel said, earning nods from his counterparts

"He's right. You three, take him back to Megure-keibu and relay the details of this encounter" Shiratori stated, pointing at Sato, Takagi and Chiba with a domineering sense of authority. The three chose to obey his command, despite the slight irritation they felt due to the conceited nature of the request. As the three officers exited the building, Chiba leading with a firm grip on Vodka's handcuffs and Sato and Takagi following in tow, Shiratori turned to Camel "I assume you'll be transported him back to the F.B.I headquarters for interrogation" Camel shook his head and began to walk toward the exit of the building

"No, most likely he will be taken to the Japanese affiliate headquarters and questioned there" Shiratori quirked an eyebrow

"Japanese affiliate headquarters?" Camel chuckled slightly and waved a hand carelessly at Shiratori

"Nothing to worry about. Let's just say the F.B.I wouldn't be where it is today without friends in various places" Shiratori grinned in semi-understanding and decided to leave that point where it was. Meanwhile Kaito KID, unnoticed by the law enforcement around him had decided to take the long way around the building in order to avoid further interaction with the authorities 'Now's not the time to risk getting caught by the police, especially considering this will be Kaito KID's last appearance'

"Ne Miwako, where did KID go? I didn't see him run on ahead of us" Sato thought about it for a moment then shrugged with a carefree expression

"He's the least of our worries right now" Takagi opened his mouth to question further, but when his eyes met hers he realized she knew something he didn't and conceded to asking her for details another time

* * *

Seconds passed as the blast from the pistol round echoed through the room and hallway. No one seemed to be able to summon the wherewithal to move or even breathe. Finally, Akai broke the ice by lowering the gun he had raised and letting out a low sigh. Shinichi, still half dazed, started to move toward the human pile on the floor before him. When he reached the two seemingly lifeless bodies he couldn't restrain the shutter that ran through his body 'Haibara…'

The girl who had helped him through the most difficult time in his life was dead in front of him. 'All she wanted was a normal life, a normal childhood. To have friends and people who cared about her, people that loved her' He slowly lowered himself down onto one knee so he could examine the body of his companion. There she laid, face down, hair strewn all about her head and neck in a more chaotic manner than he had ever seen it. Her body was scrunched into a distorted version of the fetal position, with her arms curled in toward her abdomen and her knees brushing against her elbows. Beneath her petite figure was a flowing stream of blood. It was impossible to discern who it belonged to given there position. Finally, after a few seconds of internal encouragement he lowered his hand and gently pressed his index and middle finger to her neck. In an instant his eyes lit up and he flipped the girl over

"Haibara!" he practically screamed, tightening his already iron grip on her shoulders. Quickly her eyes shot open and her breathing increased rapidly

"Kudo-kun!" she yelped, moving her head around sporadically trying to intake her surroundings. It was apparent to Shinichi at that point that the intensity of the moment when the shot went off must have caused her to black out. As Shinichi helped Haibara to her feet a huge sigh of relief was shared by all of the onlookers in the room

"Kudo!" Heiji said with a friendly inflection as he walked over to stand beside his comrade. Meanwhile Akai turned around and crouched down beside Jodie to look at the mangled but still breathing body of his confidant.

"Hattori" Shinichi returned kindly, each grinning at one another "Looks like its all over huh?" Heiji nodded, looking down at Haibara at sending her a shining smile as well. Her lips curved up in a genuine smile, something she hadn't done in many years. After the atmosphere seemed to lighten slightly Shinichi turned to Akai and, upon receiving a nod of confirmation, led his friends out of the room and away from the corpse in the doorway. As they left Akai rose and walked over to view the body. A look of contentment and sorrow filled his features

"Akemi…it's over. Rest in peace" he muttered to himself, running his right hand over his now slightly moistened right eye. With a deep breath he turned back and strode over to Jodie. With an obvious sense of urgency he lifted Hidemi into a bridal style hold and turned to exit the room.

"Call James-san, tell him to bring a vehicle to the front entrance of the compound and have a medical kit ready. Then call Megure and tell him to bring a separate vehicle to transport all these kids" Jodie nodded and started to dial in the first number while following him out the door

* * *

As Heiji, Shinichi and Haibara exited staircase and entered the base floor of the building they were met with a familiar smirk

"I guess I missed the action" Kaito said, receiving nothing but silence and darkened glares from the trio

"I thought you were retiring" Shinichi said tiredly, seemingly lacking the energy to be witty or sound interested

"Rest assured this will be the last you ever see or hear of Kaito KID. Although I can't promise there won't be imitators" Heiji grinned at the thought

"As long as the imitations thieves aren't as stuck up and annoying as you, It won't be that bad"Heiji chided. Kaito smirked and turned to Shinichi

"We're similar in many ways you know. We both had to conceal our identities and use alternate personas to reach our ends and conduct our investigations" At this, Haibara, Heiji and Shinichi's jaws dropped

"But…how…." Kaito only smirked again and chuckled

"As if I would believe a child could outwit me. I knew who you were the moment we met. Only one person has ever been able to match me, and that's you Kudo Shinichi. Not to mention after our first meeting you failed to challenge me again, and you don't strike me as the kind of person to simply leave something at a draw" it was Shinichi's turn to smirk as he stared into the eyes of a man he had come to respect as a strategist and an intellectual competitor

"It's a good thing not many people are as perceptive as you" Kaito feigned shock as he laughed

"Was that a compliment you were paying me?" Shinichi shook his head with a fading grin

"Merely an observation. Even Holmes was forced to acknowledge that they were those who could match him like Professor Moriarty" Kaito nodded in agreement then took a step back to observe the group as a whole

"Well, I bid you all a good evening and a good life. I may see you again, but chances are slim that you will see me" and with that Kaito took off in the opposite direction, leaving the three to watch as his cape fluttered and his figure slowly disappeared. Once he was gone, they proceeded to exit the building only to be met by two pairs of fluorescent headlights shining brightly in the darkened area

"Kudo-kun!" Megure called out, exiting the vehicle and heading toward them. With a stern countenance he stood in front of the three teenagers(one former) and stared at them. An onlooker could easily have interpreted the situation as a father preparing to scold his children

"Uh…M-Megure-keibu…" Shinichi stuttered out, highly intimidated by the usually jovial man's expression

"I expect all three of you in my office tomorrow morning, 9 a.m. Understood?" the three youths nodded adamantly and Megure's expression softened "Ne Kudo-kun, are you staying this time?" Shinichi hesitated for a moment, giving cause for Haibara to interject

"Hai, keibu. Shinichi-niisan will be staying right?" Haibara asked, acting more like a child than she ever had before. If not for the man standing in front of them both Heiji and Shinichi would have been in stitches

"Hai, I'm not going anywhere"

_~Four Months Later~_

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride" the official said, thereby ending the Western style wedding ceremony. As the two lovers locked lips, applause erupted throughout the hillside. They had chosen an outdoor venue for their ceremony, more specifically a grassy hillside on Niijima Island with Mt. Miyatsuka as a backdrop. The reception was to be held on a beach twenty minutes east of the ceremony. To the bride, the sunset reception on the beach would be the perfect end to the most joyous day of her life

"Congratulations Sat- ano…Takagi-keiji" Ran said with tint of pink on her cheeks as thoughts of marriage swam through her mind

"Oh Ran-chan thank you!" Miwako responded as she hugged the blushing eighteen year old [A.N I was going to call her Sato just now then I realized –haha- I can't]

"The ceremony was beautiful" Shinichi said from behind Ran as Sato released her. Ran took a step back and fell into Shinichi's arms. Shinichi wasted no time wrapping her up in an embrace of his own which she gladly accepted

"You two are so cute! And don't worry about not catching the bouquet, you'll have your own beautiful ceremony soon, ne Kudo-kun?" she winked suggestively causing the couple to blush noticeably

**~Three Months, Two Weeks Earlier~**

"Absolutely not!" Kogoro roared at the top his lungs, causing his wife to take a defensive stance and glare at him menacingly

"It's not your choice to make, it's hers and if she wants to marry him then she has every right" Eri replied coolly, only serving to further infuriate her husband

"Oh no she doesn't, she's still seventeen which means I have to consent!" Eri grinned confidently and pulled a thin stack of papers out of her work bag

"I'm an attorney baka, I already have the consent forms filled out. She only needs one acting guardian's permission" Kogoro eyes bulged out of his head as his level headed counterpart made her case

"Dammit Eri shred those papers!" Eri shook her head conceitedly and poked his chest lightly

"Their choice, not yours. However" she started, turning to face the young man that stood petrified behind them. He had taken the opportunity while Ran was out getting groceries to request permission from Kogoro to propose. Eri had insisted on being present in case things got out of hand "I do think you are rushing this. So I'm prepared to compromise"

"I'll give a compromise little detective brat! I'll kill you and if you can prove I did it you can marry her!" Kogoro roared from behind his desk where his fists were clenched as he communicated murderous intent to the youth through his glare

"Quiet! Now listen, I propose you make your intentions officials with a promise ring" Shinichi's eyebrow curiously

"Promise ring? As in a chastity ring?" Eri shook her head while Kogoro started to foam as the mouth due to the mentioning of his precious daughter's virginity

"No Shinichi-kun, a promise ring is a token offered as a symbol of a man's intention to propose at a later time" Shinichi rubbed his head for a moment then looked back at her

"I…"

"Listen to me, you are both still young, not even college students yet. What I am suggesting is that you wait until your education is complete before making this decision. Until then this gesture should suffice to show her that you're serious with your intentions" Eri concluded her argument then took a step back to stand beside her husband who was still staring daggers at the young detective

"I think you're right, I'd to have an income and a place to live before we get married"

"If!" Kogoro yelled, rising out of his chair once again and leaning forward "Whose to say she won't find someo-" Kogoro was not allowed to finished as an open hand made contact with his shoulder

"If you don't shut up and accept this **I'M**going to find someone better!" Eri screamed with venom, causing Kogoro to fall back into his chair and place his head down onto his desk

"Fine fine" he conceded with a wave of his hand "But" he started again, lifted his head and locking eyes with Shinichi "If you hurt her, I will make sure you get another case abroad, but this time you won't come back" Shinichi nodded hesitantly, looking over to see that Eri's eyes communicated the same message Kogoro's words did

"Good, then it's settled. We'll have a dinner next week to celebrate your commitment to one another" Eri added with a sigh of relief

**~End Flashback~**

"Well we'll be attending at least one wedding before that" Takagi said as he walked up behind his bride with a shimmering smile

"That's right!" Miwako added, taking her spouse's hand in hers "Where is Shiratori-san? And his lovely sensei?" They scanned the crowd and quickly found the couple mingling with a few of the other policemen present

"To think, usually Kobayashi-sensei is usually so shy" Ran said as they watched the young woman converse openly with her fiance's coworkers

"I guess being with Shiratori-keiji has opened her up a little" Shinichi added, finally releasing Ran and coming around to stand beside her

"Speaking of opening up, look" Wataru said, pointing to a boy and girl dancing merrily. It only took a few seconds to identify the two as Haibara and Mitsuhiko

"Kawaii!" Ran squeaked, unable to contain her girlish excitement

"Ever since Panay she's seemed much happier. I hope she stays this way, she's much easier to talk to like this" Shinichi added with a grin as he watched the two children twirl and move in synchronized motions while their friends sat with Professor Agasa and watched with warm smiles

**~Three Months, Three Weeks Earlier~**

"There's something I need to tell you all" Haibara said in an almost stately manner with Agasa standing beside her. Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta stood in front of her with confused expressions as Haibara pressed forward "Edogawa-kun is gone" the trio reacted with a combination of shock and melancholy

"Well when is he coming back?" Genta asked innocently, assuming he was taking another trip like he had when he went to England

"He's…not. He's moved back to America with his parents. He told me to tell you all that he'll miss you greatly and that he's enjoyed the time we had together" Up to this point Haibara had done an excellent job of holding it together, but when Ayumi began to sob mournfully her calm demeanor cracked

"He didn't say goodbye to us, that jerk!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed angrily, feeling scorned by the boy he considered a friend and a rival. Haibara glanced over at him then back to the crying girl who had taken a place on her shoulder

"Ai-chan…" Ayumi mumbled into her shirt as Haibara raised a shaky hand and stroked her brown tresses. Pushing aside her discomfort, Haibara tried her best to quell the young girl's tears

"He wouldn't want you to be like this. We'll miss him, but we have to remember the good times with him and keep them in our hearts. As long as we do that, he'll always be with us" Ayumi's tears stopped and she sniffled as she raised her head to look at Haibara. Haibara gave her an uncharacteristically genuine smile, which Ayumi returned

"Come on, how about I treat you all to curry rice and eel" Agasa suggested, grabbing his keys off of the countertop. The children all cheered and ran after him, except Haibara who remained behind, caught up in deep thought 'Edogawa-kun…you never really existed, and yet thanks to these children you will be immortalized…' her thoughts were broken as Agasa called to her, holding the door with the keys in his hand. Haibara smiled earnestly and walked off

**~End Flashback~**

Thinking about mortality brought to mind the memory of his parent's funeral

**~Two Months, One Week, Four Days Earlier~**

It had been decided that the funeral for Kudo Yuusaku and Kudo Yukiko would be a dual ceremony, commemorating both of their lives. Despite the many friends and acquaintances the two had accumulated over the years the ceremony was kept fairly private, allowing only a few hundred guests. The details of their demise had been relayed by Korn during his interrogation by the F.B.I. Shortly afterward Shinichi received a phone call from Jodie herself. She explained all that happened to his mother, leaving little to the imagination. She also shared with him what little information they had about his father's actions prior to his death. Shinichi had found little closure in the story, save for one detail

"Shinichi…" Ran whispered softly as the two caskets were lowered into the earth. He turn his head slightly, to acknowledge that he had heard her. With a firm squeeze of his hand she said softly but with no doubt or inhibition "I love you". It was a simple phrase that they had exchanged shortly after returning to Japan after the Black Organization takedown and a number of times aftwerward. However, the inflection in her voice and the sincerity behind it genuinely moved him

"Ran…" there was one thing that Shinichi found solace in

"We now lay these souls to rest, and pray that they may be allowed to live on in our hearts and memories"

"Promise never to leave me" Shinichi said in a moment of weakness and emotional vulnerability. Ran gently hugged his midsection and placed her head on his shoulder

"I'll always be with you, Shinichi" When his mother had passed, his father was there with her. She died knowing that he loved her, and similarly he had been there for his father. Neither had to die alone, and if the unseen forces of the universe were gracious, he prayed they would award him the same fate. He hoped with all his might that the last thing he would see in his life would be the eyes of his beloved Ran, and that he would die knowing she loved him

**~End Flashback~**

Shinichi was jarred from his thoughts when a firm hand smacked him on the shoulder

"Oi what are you doing dreaming when you're supposed to be dancing with –neechan!" Heiji asked with an inappropriately high volume

"Aho keep your voice down we're at a wedding!" Kazuha barked from behind him, holding a white rose bouquet in her right hand. Heiji smirked and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to his chest. Kazuha blushed crimson as Heiji planted a passionate kiss on her lips, causing her to drop the bouquet while earning some 'woots' and 'awws' from the people around them

"Oi Hattori what the hell are you doing? We're at a wedding!" Shinichi grumbled as Heiji released his liplock, leaving Kazuha dazed and giggling to herself like a seven year old

"If that's all I have to do to keep you quiet then I'll marry you tomorrow" Heiji said with a seductive grin as he stared into his girlfriend's eyes. Kazuha was far too dazed to process his words so she simply smiled and nodded

"Hattori-kun…." Ran mumbled with a touch of embarrassment. It was only then that Heiji realized they had been but a few inches away from the poor spectator when they kissed

"G-Gomen" Heiji responded shyly, blushing a little himself. Ran simply waved her hand and took Kazuha by the hand, intending to lead her away and maybe wake her from her stupor. She was stopped abruptly however when Shinichi snaked his fingers betweens hers, interlocking them

"You wanna dance?" he asked nonchalantly. Ran beamed and nodded, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor as a slow song began to play. Heiji, for all his romantic ignorance, found the wherewithal to take Kazuha by the wrist and roughly drag her to the dance floor as well.

And so they all danced, enjoying the simple joy of being with the ones closest to them after so much strife and interference. As they danced Shinichi found it hard to forget Vermouth's final words to him 'I'll never let her go' he thought to himself, silently answering her unspoken question. 'After all' he thought as he stared down at the beautiful young woman in his arms, who's eyes were shimmering as she gazed up at him 'She's my angel'

* * *

"So, it turns out Korn really didn't care all that much for the Organization. He was just a guy who got hired because he was good at what he did. So when we questioned him he spilled everything with almost no resistance. In exchange we allowed him a minimum thirty year sentence. Vodka never really stood a chance, considering how far into the Organization hierarchy he was. He didn't talk, he said something like 'it's my last gift to Aniki'. He's still awaiting trial in the International Court of Law. They say he's going to be tried as a terrorist. It seems appropriate to me, but I can't say I care too much. As long as he's gone, where he goes and what he goes there for doesn't matter much. Hidemi-san has made a full recovery and she's been assigned to act as Jodie-san's subordinate in the Beika Prefecture. As part of her cover she opened a flower shop, that's where I got these" the man said as he delicately placed the bouquet of lavender lilacs on the ground "They're gone, Akemi, the whole Organization is gone. Now you can rest in peace" Akai said with watery eyes. After months of bureaucracy he had finally been authorized to purchase a headstone for Akemi and have a proper ceremony. Akai slowly fell to a knee in front of the headstone, placing a hand on the cold rock. As the memories of his lover ran through his mind he couldn't help but remember the message she had sent him shortly prior to her untimely death "I never did answer you did I?" he asked the wind as it whipped and whirled around him, rustling the trees around the cemetery "Yes, Akemi, I would have loved to be your boyfriend, maybe then we could have been married and had some children. You always said you wanted children... I wish we could have seen each other again…" finally a singular tear escaped the clutched of his eye and ran hot past the scar on his face and fell to the earth below him "But, I guess it wasn't meant to be. We'll see each other again though, and when we do It'll be forever" he pledged to the slab of marble before him as he struggled to compose himself. With that final promise he stood up and walked away from the stone obituary, leaving everything his heart had to offer with the flowers on the ground

**I lied, I finished on a Tuesday. That aside, it's done.**

**The ending may seem kind of lame, but everyone knows the ending is usually that way. And in case you're wondering, yes I am aware of how cheesy it is. I've said before that I am trying to do my best to adhere to Gosho's writing style. And we all know how cheesy the real ending is going to be so I just found it fitting to make mine the same**

**Thanks to all you who have been reading and keeping up, sorry the end took a while. Hope you enjoyed it**


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